| Kellenberg Memorial High School | |
|---|---|
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One Heart, One Mind
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| Address | |
| 1400 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard Uniondale, New York, 11553 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic Marianist |
| Established | 1987 |
| Founder | Society of Mary |
| Oversight | University of the State of New York |
| CEEB Code | 334880 |
| President | Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. |
| Dean | Marina Trentacoste |
| Principal | Bro. Kenneth Hoagland |
| Asst. Principal | Kenneth Conrade Bro. Roger Poletti Fr. Albert Bertoni John Benintendi |
| Chaplain | Fr. Thomas Cardone |
| Faculty | 124[1] |
| Grades | 6-12 |
| Enrollment | 2680 (HS + LS)[2] (2010-2011) |
| Latin School | 480 |
| Average class size | ~35 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 21:1 |
| Campuses | Primary: Suburban Uniondale, NY 20 acres (8.1 ha)[3] Secondary: Rural "Founder's Hollow" Accord, New York 165 acres (67 ha)[4][5][6] |
| College Bound | 100.0% (2007)[7] |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Athletics conference | CHSAA |
| Mascot | Firebird |
| Team name | Firebirds |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[8] |
| Publication | Renaissance (literary magazine) |
| Newspaper | Phoenix The Early Bird (Latin Sch.) |
| Yearbook | 'Blue and Gold' |
| Tuition | $7,975 (9-12 / 2011-12) $7,775 (6-8 / 2011-12) |
| Communities served | Nassau, Queens and Suffolk Counties |
| Feeder schools | Brother Fox Latin St Martin de Porres |
| Affiliation | NYS Association of Independent Schools[9] |
| Public Transit | At Entrance NICE n24 n51 |
| Website | www.kellenberg.org |
Kellenberg Memorial High School is a Roman Catholic college-preparatory school in Uniondale, Long Island, New York. Kellenberg is the second Marianist school on Long Island and prides itself on high academic standards combined with a strong focus on faith.
Contents |
Kellenberg is accessed through the main entrance across from RXR Plaza on Glenn Curtiss Blvd. Although the lobby was originally designed as the main entrance, the school is oriented toward its north entrance. The north entrance of the school features a mural of the Holy Family, including a depiction of Jesus as a teenager, designed by artist Yan Rieger in 1997, in honor of the school's tenth anniversary. Students and Marianists assisted the artist and his wife with the execution of the mural.[10] Kellenberg Memorial has four athletic fields, baseball, football, softball etc., each is separately named after one of the four gospel writers. The school also is the caretakers of two Nassau County drainage properties, one east of the school and one west, which are used for athletic purposes. These properties are named Jerusalem and Jericho respectively, after the two biblical cities.
A new artificial turf field was installed during the summer of 2010. This marks a series of campus improvements and expansions that will take place throughout 2010 and 2011.
The high school's curriculum includes three programs: Honors, Academic I and Academic II. Students on all three tracks take four years of classical education courses in English, Math, (Catholic) Religion, Social Studies, and Science. Students in the Honors track take 4 years of foreign language (Latin, French, or Spanish). Students on the Academic I track take three years of a foreign language and a College Writing course in their fourth year, while Academic II students take English Composition for two years and senior year they take American Sign Language. In Freshman year, the students take Chorus classes; Sophomores take a Health class (which encompasses a variety of topics ranging from personal hygiene to sexual education) and Computer (covering typing, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Powerpoint); Junior year students take an introductory course of Music; Seniors take an Art class, though there is the option to interview for a more advanced art class, Portfolio Prep. Seniors may also take an Advanced Computer Applications course. In both Freshman and Sophomore years, the students take tae kwon do in place of a general physical education class. Come Junior year both males and females join together in a general physical education class, only if they are not involved in a Varsity sport. Students in the Latin School take Latin along with other liberal arts subjects and the classic courses.[11] Kellenberg does not offer any AP courses.[12]
Admission to the school is highly competitive, with many applicants enrolling in private exam preparation courses for the Catholic High School Entrance Exam (CHSEE/TACHS) in general[13] and Kellenberg in particular.[14]
The high school is a CHSAA member and belongs to the New York State Association of Independent Schools. It is also registered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.[15]
The school also operates the Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School on its campus. Serving students from grades 6-8, it was originally designed to serve students who started in public school but wished to transfer into the Catholic system; it now accepts students from both public and Catholic elementary schools.
Admission to the program is highly competitive, with many applying over a year in advance. The nature of the progarm allows middle school students to have courses taught by high school teachers (often with high school material) and to take part in clubs, activities and services that would normally not be available at a regular middle school. Students in grades 7 and 8 are required to take Latin, with those who remain at Kellenberg for high school placed in accelerated classes. Students who graduate from the program are guaranteed admission to the high school; however, they are required to take the CHSEE for statistical and quality-assurance purposes.
While the school has a separate administration for academics, guidance and discipline, the schools are otherwise administered as one unit, sharing facilities and faculty and with most clubs and activities run as one Grade 6-12 unit; the administration of the Latin School is subsidiary to that of the greater school, with the Assistant Principal for the Latin School answerable to the Principal and President of Kellenberg Memorial High School.
It is the only Latin school on Long Island; New York City also has the public Brooklyn Latin School.
As of April 2010, the faculty included 130 members, including 4 Marianist Priests and 12 Marianist Brothers. Many of the school administrators maintain teaching roles in the school. There is also a large school staff body consisting of about 70 members. Many members of the Society of Mary have canine companions that often follow them to the classroom or reside in their offices during the day, sometimes cited as a very likable trait of the school. Much of the faculty and school staff are alumni.
Administrators have contributed articles to a diverse range of publications, from the religious Catalyst to the mainstream New York Times.[16] Current faculty include present college faculty,[17] published authors[18] and professional musicians,[19][20] and former faculty members contributed to works still included in the school's curriculum, from history classes[21] to faith-based clubs.[22] Music produced by student organizations is sold at online music retailers.[23]
In January 2007, a Spanish teacher was arrested and charged with grand larceny, identity theft, and possession of stolen property. The arrest came after a Kellenberg student reported a credit card stolen on December 21, 2006. Nassau County Police Department Detective Sgt. Michael Williams said that the credit card was used to buy more than $450 worth of shirts and one jacket at Macy's in Roosevelt Field Mall.[24][25]
In the Marianist tradition, many students join sodality groups to mutually reinforce their Catholic faith. The groups meet weekly and participate in various religious activities. The school also operates Emmanuel, a Marianist Retreat House devoted to students' spiritual formation. Students attend a series of retreats during their time at the school. Freshman and Sophomore retreats are mandatory, but Junior and Senior year retreats are optional.[26]
A major co-curricular focus is music. Activities in this area include Band (four levels), Chorus (four levels), Guitar Club, Jazz Band, the Firebird Swing Jazz Choir, Orchestra, Pit Band, and Jubilee Choir, Gregorian Consortium (sometimes called St. Greg's). Publications include Blue and Gold (a school yearbook), "The Renaissance" (a literary magazine), "The Phoenix" (a school newspaper), and three additional divisional newspapers—The Sophomore Senitel, The Freshman Flash, and the Early Bird, (a Latin school publication).
Kellenberg also has an Academic Quiz Bowl team and a Science Olympiad team. The Academic Quiz Bowl team came in 11th place at the NAQT High School National Championship and placed second in the 2010 season of the New York area TV show The Challenge. The team won the 2009 New York State NAQT tournament, placing first in the state with the JV team in fifth;[27] at the state level, three of the top five players came from Kellenberg teams.[28] The Science Olympiad team has qualified for the New York State Science Olympiad Competition for the past 15 years.[29]
A major activity for female students at Kellenberg is the Blue and Gold sports night. The students who participate are divided into two teams, a blue team and a gold team. The girls practice from February until May. The competition takes place on one night in early May and attracts a widespread Long Island audience.
Kellenberg administrators have twice eliminated activities that they considered "no longer commensurate with the goals of a Christian education". Kellenberg first abolished the school's hockey team, reasoning that hockey "kept degenerating into physical mayhem".[30] And in 2006, the school received national attention when the principal, Brother Kenneth Hoagland, canceled the Senior Prom. In a letter from late March 2006, he cited booze cruises sponsored by parents, cocktail parties, and the film American Pie as examples of "adolescent culture being formed and led by the media".[30][31] The school received national attention from ABC,[32] CNN,[33] Fox News,[34] MTV,[35] The New York Times,[36] and Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.[37]