Latest News

The PhoenixOnline is the school newspaper, published by the students of Kellenberg Memorial High School. Articles are posted throughout the school week to PhoenixOnline at kellenberg.org/phoenix. PhoenixOnline covers various Faith, Academic, Extra-Curricular, and Athletic stories and features at Kellenberg Memorial. PhoenixOnline staff contribute to the school journalism publication by conceiving stories, attending school events, conducting interviews, and writing and editing articles. Membership on the PhoenixOnline staff is open to all students in grades 6 through 12. Editorship positions are available by application.

PhoenixOnline Surveys

Throughout the year, we run open surveys polling our student body on some general interest topics.

PhoenixOnline Video Segments

College Fairs at Kellenberg Memorial
Drama Club presents
You Can't Take It With You
The College Placement Office

Athletics News

Kellenberg Student Athletes Recognized at NCAA Ceremony

Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: On November 14th, 2023, eighteen Kellenberg seniors were honored at the annual fall NCAA Celebration. This event honors the achievements of student athletes who have committed to a college for their respective sports and celebrates their advancement to collegiate athletics. The coaches and

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Girls Varsity Volleyball Wins League Championship

Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24 November 3rd, 2023 was a joyous scene at SUNY Old Westbury where the Girls Varsity Volleyball team rejoiced in celebration after winning the League Championship against the Sacred Heart Spartans. The Lady Firebirds’ dominance has been displayed throughout the season as the team

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World Renowned Sports Psychologist Speaks To Kellenberg XC

Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Noumair ’24: On Thursday, November 10th, the Kellenberg cross country team was treated to a Zoom presentation featuring internationally renowned Sports Psychologist, Dr. Ralph Vernacchia at 3:30 pm in Room 211. Vernacchia, the author of Inner Strength and Coaching Mental Excellence, and the Sports Psychologist

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Girls JV Volleyball Celebrates Championship Win

Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24: On October 29th, 2023, the Junior Varsity Lady Firebirds Volleyball team ended a stellar season with an amazing championship win against Sacred Heart Academy. The team was undefeated in league play and continued their dominant season with playoff success, winning both sets by

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Activities News

Kellenberg Celebrates Poetry

Article by Phoenix writer Lauren DeRiggi ’24: Kellenberg hosted an Open Mic event in the school’s auditorium. This event gave the opportunity for students to recite their favorite poems. Over 60 students in grades 6-12 participated, and many recited original poems. The Open Mic was held in honor of National

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Firebird Orchestra Performs for St. Martin’s Students

Article by Phoenix writer Keira Quigley ’26: On March 15th, Kellenberg’s Firebird Orchestra had the pleasure of going to the St. Martin de Porres Marianist School in celebration of “Music in Our Schools Month,” which focuses on supporting music education in schools throughout the nation. Volunteers from the Firebird Orchestra,

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Apostolic News

Kellenberg Celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: On Monday, December 9, the Kellenberg family celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The day was made a solemnity in 1708 by Pope Clement XI and commemorates the conception of Mary without original sin. The celebrants for the three masses were Father

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Ladies of Kellenberg Celebrate Annual Magnificat Dinner

Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27: On Friday, December 6th, Kellenberg hosted its annual Magnificat dinner. This event for the young women of Kellenberg and the special women in their lives is named after the prayer offered up to God from Mary while she was greeting her cousin Elizabeth.

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Firebird Families Share Christmas Cheer

Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vakser ’26: With prayer, festivities, and the school’s first tree lighting, Christmas at Kellenberg brought the whole Firebird family together to celebrate the coming holiday. The event, held on the Saturday before the second week of Advent, began with a mass and continued with caroling,

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Students Deck the Halls for Advent

Article by Phoenix writer Molly Driscoll ’26: On Tuesday, December 3rd, Kellenberg students and faculty participated in the annual Christmas decorating event. Everyone wore Christmas sweaters to embrace the holiday cheer. Christmas music filled the halls as students and faculty enthusiastically decorated classrooms. Before Thanksgiving break, each homeroom came up

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Last Week at Mass

LWAM: Trusting What I Can’t Change

Article by Phoenix writer Brooke Oldenborg ’26: On Sunday, November 17, I decided to end my weekend with my home parish’s evening mass. This is the first mass I’ve attended fully in a while. As the priest started talking, it seemed like a normal mass, but as he continued it

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LWAM: Make the Time

Article by Phoenix writer Kevin Kirley ’25: Walking into St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre on Sunday, September 24 was a cathartic experience. I didn’t expect the church to be as full as it was: there were dozens of families, Moms bringing their kids from a soccer game, filling up

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Last Week At Mass: Goat or Sheep?

Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: Something I have always struggled with is judgment. Especially in this society of scrutiny, I find myself passing judgment on others far too often. I would deem somebody bad for spreading rumors or for breaking rules. I would deem someone good for helping

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LAST WEEK AT MASS: “Ja te volim.”

Article by Phoenix writer Paulina Barnjak ’24: “Ja te volim.” With those three words, I am assured that I am loved, in this world and the next. I think it’s universal that society does not know how to handle the loss of a loved one. Even as Catholics, as we

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But What Do I Know?

But What Do I Know

But What Do I Know: Don’t Rush the Season

Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27: I love the season of Christmas. It is not only a holiday, but a feeling that every Christian is familiar with. It brings warmth into our lives and reminds us of the comforts of home and family. It starts with childhood, and the anticipation of a break from school and the coming of Santa Claus. Every kid waits patiently for December 25th to arrive by making wish lists and working hard to stay on the “nice list.” Then, the magic of Christmas morning comes and the nostalgic site of a glistening Christmas tree with unopened presents underneath. As one matures, receiving gifts and expecting Santa matter less and less. The real meaning of Christmas is prioritized through spending time with family, giving back to those less fortunate, and above all, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a great holiday and deserves the

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But What Do I Know

But What Do I Know: Is the Movie Theater Dead?

  Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: The smell of butter flavoring and freshly popped kernels overwhelms my nostrils as I step in line for concessions. There is no line, and I walk right to the counter. I walk down the carpeted hallway dressed with lighted movie posters, popcorn and soda in hand, passing auditorium after auditorium in search of theater number six; the corridor is empty, crumpled napkins drifting between walls like tumbleweeds in a deserted western landscape. Finally, I step into the dark theater, and the silver screen displays previews for blockbuster hits and indie gems. I am the only one in the empty theater, and the sound of the kernels between my teeth echoes through the vacant room. This is the reality of modern-day cinema. I will never forget that mid-December night when I was nine years old. I stepped into a packed theater with my

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But What Do I Know

But What Do I Know: Words that Last

Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vasker ’26: There is something beautiful about a blank sheet of paper— something that awakes the mystery and excitement inside a person born to be a writer until the depths of his soul are stirred and he picks up the pen. The potential, the emptiness waiting to be filled, the lines begging for a pencil to make contact, all cry out with the promise of what could be— and who has never been intrigued by the unknown? My pencil flies across the page, scribbling, scratching, creating worlds and dreams and stories. I am lost to another realm, oblivious to everything but the words forming on the paper before me. The room is silent. The only sounds are the sharp sssht, sssht, of my hand moving along the paper and the furious scratching of my pencil as I lean over my desk. Soon my paper becomes

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But What Do I Know

But What Do I Know: The Musings of a Margin Scribbler

Article by Phoenix writer Paulina Barnjak ’24: Many students dread summer reading, especially when they have to annotate and highlight in the books. But let me tell you a secret – I LOVE writing in the margins of books. Some people may view this as a destruction of property or a waste of time. If they see an annotated book on the shelf or a hand me down book from a relative, they might choose a neater, nicer book to read. The annotations might get in the way of your perception of the book. But in my eyes, that’s good – a new perspective is great, sometimes even life changing. Billy Collins writes about these annotations in his poem, “Marginalia.” I can picture myself as the people within the lines of this poem, especially in the following excerpt: “One scrawls ‘Metaphor’ next to a stanza of Eliot’s. Another notes the

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Academics News

Junior History Trip Sparks Appreciation for the U.S.

Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27: From Washington’s Headquarters to West Point Academy: On October 18th, the class of 2026 made their own trip down the Hudson on an academic journey to broaden their knowledge of American History. Leaving Kellenberg at 6:15, the 42 sleepy juniors made their first

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Students Send Shivers Down Your Spine at Fright Club

Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: On October 22, Bro. Peter Sennett, S.M., held a meeting for the creative writing contest Fright Club in room 122. Middle and high school students alike joined to share their ideas for horror short stories and get assistance from Bro. Peter to make

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Kellenberg Seniors Attend Molloy Common Read

Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25: On Wednesday, October 9, ten Kellenberg seniors had the opportunity to visit Molloy University for Molloy’s annual freshman Common Read. Each year, Molloy assigns a book to their incoming freshmen class, after which the author of that book is invited to give a

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Students Dominate the Courtroom at Yale Invitational

Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Kelly ’26: On September 13, the Kellenberg Mock Trial team set out on their first invitational of the year, the Yale Bulldog Invitational. The team skillfully delivered examinations of the witnesses, presented their case, and introduced evidence in their greatest attempt to prevail in the

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The Renaissance

An important extra facet of the academic life at Kellenberg Memorial is the literary magazine, Renaissance. Published twice a year in Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer issues, it contains the creative writings and artistic talents of students from grades six through twelve.

The creative voice heard in the poems, short stories, essays, and art is often unheard in the day-to-day work within the classroom.