SCHOOL NEWS

ALUMNI BOARD

CLASS OF ’89 REUNION

In 2014, Kellenberg Memorial established its first official Alumni Board. According to its by-laws, “The mission of the Alumni Association is to provide opportunities for all Kellenberg Memorial High School alumni to maintain contact with each other and the school. This is done through Kellenberg publications, the marketing of Kellenberg merchandise, and the organization of chapters, reunions, and other social events.” We are pleased to announce the officers of this board who will serve for two years: President JAMES MCBRIEN ’89, Vice Presidents HILARY (CUNNINGHAM) MCDEVITT ’93, PATRICIA KEARNEY ’97, KELLY (AGOSTINACCHIO) FORQUIGNON ’99, and JOHN SCATAMACCHIA ’00. To read a brief biography on each of the board members, go to www.kellenberg.org and click on the tab marked “alumni” at the top of the page.

In September 2014, the Class of ’89 gathered in the KMHS Millennium Room to celebrate their 25th Reunion. Photo below: Reunion Committee members JAMES MCBRIEN, CHRISTINE (O’HAL) ALLEN, ANTHONY GIORDANO, LISA (HEALEY) HYLAND, JOHN NOAK, MIKE MCENERNEY with BROTHER DAVID and MR. HUGGARD.

FOOD & WINE EXPO

MARIA REGINA REUNION

On September 27, 2014, KMHS once again hosted the Food and Wine Expo, under the direction of MRS. DENISE MILES, CHRIS ALFALLA ’94, PEGGY (RANIERI) YORK ’03, MATT KIRK ’04, and KIM LASTIG ’09. This year the event was coordinated with the Parents Cocktail Party and was open to all alumni, current parents and KAPA parents. Dozens of local restaurants and wine merchants brought savory tastings for all to sample and enjoy.

FATHER PHILIP with KATIE RISSETTO ’07 and BRITTANY SOTO ’07; KELLI LASTIG ’11, MELANIE VIGARIO ’07, and KELLY LAWRENCE ’09.

On November 8, 2014 the Maria Regina Class of 1974 gathered in the KMHS Millennium Room to celebrate their 30 Year Reunion. Mrs. Denise Miles, Director of Advancement, and Mr. Jack McCutcheon, MR ’75, are very interested in fostering the relationship between all Maria Regina alumni and Kellenberg Memorial. They can be reached at mrsmiles@kellenberg.org and mrmccutcheon@kellenberg.org.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Kellenberg Memorial once again was filled with Christmas spirit. FATHER THOMAS (below) was the principal celebrant at Midnight Mass as current students and parents joined alumni and KAPA parents in celebrating Christ’s birth. Seniors ANDREW MCPHERSON and JUSTIN BELL (right) go the extra mile in entertaining the student body at the Advent prayer service.

Each homeroom was decorated with its own tree as the students enjoyed the friendly competition of door and room decorating.

MAGNIFICAT DINNER

CLAUDY (DAMUS) MAKELELE ’93 was the speaker at this year’s Magnificat Dinner in December, a night for the young ladies of KMHS and their mothers. She is the principal of the Essence School in Brooklyn, as well as the Senior Director for the Office of School Wellness Programs for NYC. She spoke to the young women about the importance of hard work and persistence in achieving their goals, and she thanked her mother (photo below) for her support over the years. Finally, she emphasized the importance of maintaining a relationship with Jesus throughout their lives. Her talk was followed by dinner and dancing — a truly enjoyable evening for all!

THANKSGIVING VISIT

On Wednesday, November 26th, the halls of KMHS were filled with young alumni who made it a point of beginning their Thanksgiving holiday with a visit to their alma mater. Several hundred alumni came to the school Mass, which was followed by a brunch in the gymnasium, where they caught up with one another and faculty. Photo below: ROSE HASLBAUER ’14, JACKIE HOWFIELD ’14, ERIN VON ELM ’14, and KATHRYN ULICNY ’14; Photos right: JULIA LUCIANI ’14 and ADRIAN LAUDANI ’14; SAL RUFFINO ’14 and BIANCA CAMARDA ’14; MR. JOHN HEITNER and PHIL BIES ’14.

CAROUSEL: A RIDE TO REMEMBER

Packed houses filled the Kellenberg auditorium in November to watch the Drama Club, under the direction of Mr. Denis Murphy, perform the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel. AUSTIN NALABOFF ’15 and COURTNEY O’SHEA ’16 (upper right) brought the stormy and troubled relationship between Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan to life in a moving and memorable fashion.

LENTEN PILGRIMAGE

Six hundred freshmen marched a mile-and-a-half to go on a Lenten Pilgrimage to view the film, “Jerusalem,” at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. The documentary included the stories of three teenage girls — a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim — living in the city from which Jesus was taken to Golgotha and crucified.

This February, five Kellenberg juniors, CHARLES RUSSELL, JON MICHAEL CONNOLLY, TARA NOBLE, VICTORIA RUBINO and FIONA DANYKO, joined with other Catholic and Jewish juniors from Long Island on a spiritual, educational, and life changing pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The other students participating were selected from Jewish and Catholic communities on Long Island. The students were accompanied by two Jewish moderators and Brother Michael Gillen, S.M. The purpose of the trip, which was under the sponsorship of Mr. Roger Tilles, was to join together twelve Catholic and Jewish high school juniors to understand the Jewish and the Catholic faiths more deeply. Upon their return, they shared their experiences with classmates during their religion classes.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

STUDENTS TRAIN FOR EMT

Under the direction of moderator Mr. Paul Ditrano, KMHS physics teacher, seniors have the opportunity to take part in a year-long EMT training program that is run in cooperation with the Nassau County Emergency Medical Services Academy. Students have the opportunity to become New York State certified Emergency Medical Technicians. In order to be certified, students must attend 120 hours of evening classes and pass all requisite training and testing.

Brother Roger and Miss Erin Ronan led over thirty Kellenberg students over February break in a weeklong mission to rebuild homes that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy in the tenth annual St. Joseph’s Mission. Volunteers from Kellenberg and Chaminade, led by Father Garrett Long, partnered with local organizations to help those in desperate need. Students spent the week reconstructing houses by putting up insulation and drywall, “mudding” and spackling, sanding, painting, and cleaning out materials. Throughout the week, the volunteers made major contributions to the restoration of four needy houses on Long Island.

ST. JOSEPH’S MISSION

KMHS PARTICIPATE IN D.C.’S MARCH FOR LIFE

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD TAKES FIRST

In January, over 50 KMHS juniors, accompanied by faculty and alumni, joined thousands of protesters in Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life. Before the March, the students had the opportunity to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which vividly portrayed the suffering that the students had been learning about in their study of Man’s Search for Meaning in religion class. They also celebrated Mass in one of the chapels of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Under the direction of Brother Nigel, Kellenberg placed first in the Science Olympiad Regionals that took place at the school. Kellenberg competed against 34 other schools. Congratulations, Olympians!

MARIANIST MAKEOVERS BRING A NEW LOOK

From the books to the bleachers, Kellenberg Memorial has been diligent in upgrading its facilities. Last summer, the gym underwent a major renovation with new bleachers and windows highlighting the project. To assist with the new technology, the library was reconfigured to feature a Help Center that is available to all students and faculty throughout the day. Lastly, stained glass windows were installed in the library. They are from the former Marianist novitiate in Marcy, New York — where many of the more “experienced” KMHS Brothers began their formation.