In the News

Members of the community gathered at Hasbrouck Heights High School Monday for the purpose of discussing the school district’s anti-bullying policies, gaining an understanding that it takes a whole community from school administrators, clergy members and library staff right down to the parents to keep the kids in the school system safe from bullying.

The Boonton family of slaying victim Nazish Noorani drew some comfort today from a forum, march and vigil dedicated to preventing the domestic violence that allegedly caused her death.

The Rev. Laurie Jean Wurm of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Boonton, a leader of the interfaith group that organized the event, said she was pleased by the large turnout that included men and women, Muslims and non-Muslims. She said it reminded her of a service held at her church two days after the shooting.

St. Philip’s Academy is home free.

With the help of donors, the private K-8 school in Newark has paid off its $22 million mortgage in five years, officials said.

Last week, the school of 344 students threw a party to celebrate paying off the mortgage in the spring. The hoopla included shredding a copy of the document and shooting it out of a confetti cannon in the gym, said Karen San Giacomo, the school’s communications director.

Anonymous donations of $100,000, $1.5 million and $2.8 million paid off the remaining balance, San Giacomo said.

Hoboken resident Libby Vino, a middle school math, spirituality and humanities teacher at All Saints Episcopal Day School, 707 Washington St., for the past 10 years, has been named New Jersey's Non-Public School Teacher of the Year for 2011.

'Those of us who work with Libby know how well-deserved this recognition is,' All Saints head of school Jill Singleton stated in an announcement. 'We're proud of her and we're excited that many more people can be inspired by her, the way we are every day.'

Watch an expanded, hour-long video of Christians, Muslims & Jews: Bridging the Divide, which premiered as a 30-minute program on PBS on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

On the eve of the Jewish New Year, Jon Meacham sat down with Bishop Mark Beckwith and three other local religious leaders to discuss the divide among the major faiths. What does this divide look like? And what can we do about it?