Coeur du Christ Academy

Happy August! Click the link to read our Summer eNewsletter: https://ddock.co/AG474L2QJD

MEET THE TEAM

Mrs. Jennifer "Jenn" Decker was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she earned a degree in Nuclear Engineering and International Relations. Upon graduation, she was commissioned as an Adjutant General Officer in the United States Army and served on active duty. It was during her time at West Point that she met her husband, Rob.

Following her military service, Mrs. Decker answered the call to education, where she has spent many years teaching mathematics and science. She is passionate about helping students discover the beauty, order, and logic woven throughout God's creation. As an educator, she believes that the study of mathematics and science cultivates wonder, strengthens reason, and equips students to pursue truth with confidence. She is excited to bring her experience, love of learning, and commitment to classical Catholic education to the students and families of Coeur du Christ Academy.

Jenn and her family are grateful to call St. Thomas Parish their home. Together, she and Rob have been blessed with two children, Luke and Emma, who attend Carroll College in Helena, Montana.

Outside the classroom, Jenn enjoys running, cycling, gardening, caring for her seven chickens, dog, and cooking for family and friends. She is happiest outdoors or gathered around the table with those she loves, celebrating the many blessings God has provided.

Meet the Team - Coeur du Christ Academy - Coeur d'Alene, ID https://share.google/uW2m0uGSLilR88HCi

How will a Catholic education offer “real experiences with real things”? Consider the following examples from the Front Royal Statement:

· “Through a process of ‘awakening,’ education constitutes a deep encounter with and conversion to reality, especially with the mystery of redemption.”

· “We are endowed with reason and freedom, capable of knowing truth and loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. This reflects the full reality of our human nature: bodily, emotional, intellectual, volitional, and spiritual.”

· “At [the curriculum’s] core are the liberal arts, especially grammar, logic, and rhetoric, which cultivate the powers of the intellect and conform the student’s mind to reality itself.”

· “This formation… values both faith and reason. It springs from a sacramental imagination, a faith which enables one to perceive how physical reality reveals the transcendent, spiritual reality lying beyond it, while remaining firmly grounded in a robust realism which affirms the intelligibility, goodness, and intrinsic value of created reality.”



A Catholic education will nurture a spirit of contemplation in students, that they might lovingly look, smell, taste, touch, and affirm existence. Catholic education should make realists of our students, who will not look upon the world as a mere “desert of the real,”4 but rather as “charged with the grandeur of God.”5 We should be cultivating a sensitivity to all things visible and invisible.6 As Pope Benedict XVI compellingly put it, “The word of God makes us change our concept of realism: the realist is the one who recognizes in the word of God the foundation of all things.”7

www.augustineinstitute.org "It is the normal mind’s first reaction to the world—to know that it exists. Before he reflects…a man first simply looks, smells, tastes, touches, and affirms existence."1 So wrote John Senior, one of the minds behind the now legendary Integrated Humanities Program (IHP) at the University of K...

Can you spot today's Blessed on the gallery wall in Mrs. Edman's office?

Today is the feast of Blessed Solanus Casey (July 30), making it a fitting day to reflect on the wisdom of this humble Capuchin friar, remembered for his deep trust in God's providence, his many miraculous healings, and his constant spirit of gratitude.

Here are some of his most beloved sayings:

"Thank God ahead of time."

"Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature."

"Blessed be God in all His designs."

"We must be faithful to the present moment or we will frustrate the plan of God for our lives."

"The only science that gives purpose to every other science is the science of religion—the science of our happy relationship with, and our providential dependence on God and our neighbor."

"It's 'Heaven begun' for the grateful on earth."

"Worry is a weakness from which very few of us are entirely free. We must be on guard against this most insidious enemy of our peace of soul. Instead let us foster confidence in God, and thank Him ahead of time for whatever He chooses to send us."

"Pray for poor Fr. Solanus—who, like all poor sinners, needs the grace of God to be fully converted."

"I have two loves: the sick and the poor."

Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us!

Happy Sunday! Enjoy these moments captured with our beautiful students and alumni attending SteubenvilleNW. God is good!

JUST OFF THE PRESS THE WORD!

Incoming 7th and 8th graders are officially invited to the 2026 North Idaho Catholic Youth Camp.

This year, they will join our high school students for a powerful week of faith, adventure, friendship, and a real encounter with Jesus Christ.

The camp has been gone for nearly three years, and it takes momentum to build it back. Our vision is for this camp to become a strong pillar of Catholic youth formation in North Idaho.

Daily Mass, Adoration, Confession, powerful speakers, praise and worship, lake activities, high ropes, hiking, airsoft, mud volleyball, night games, glow-stick games, bonfires, great food, and strong Catholic fellowship.

We want to engage our young people, set their hearts on fire for Christ, renew their minds, and send them home transformed.

For one week only, families can receive $150 off registration.

Use discount code: Piusysn $150 off

We also have scholarships and additional discounts available. Do not let finances stop a young person from attending.

Parents, grandparents, priests, teachers, coaches, and youth leaders—help us spread the word and personally invite an incoming 7th or 8th grader.

August 9–13, 2026

See flyer

Let’s build the momentum. Let’s get our youth to camp.
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The first annual North Idaho Catholic Camp is here!
High school students, join us for a high-adventure camp with Catholicism at its core.

Take part in EPIC ACTIVITIES with paintball, archery, lake adventures, mud runs, glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, campfires, live music, night games, and more!

Experience AUTHENTIC CATHOLICISM with Daily Mass, Adoration, Confession, worship, and inspiring speakers.

Find out more: https://www.communiocda.org/events/catholicyouthcamp?fbclid=IwVERTSATNIshleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4Y_AeMT64evhb6vU456SM3N47s9lb9NBDPVJhoFmFeB-bFrht1FSrcpa2nyg_aem_he6pOLe8JrVUxZBj8LkIGw

At Coeur du Christ Academy, our juniors are invited to encounter a loving vision of God by way of Moral Theology and to be so inspired to lead lives of virtue as they seek ultimate happiness in Him.

What a joyful privilege it is to see our students wrestle with God by addressing modern day issues and perennial ones, all while finding solid ground in the teachings of the Church.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, lead us ever closer to your Son. Clothe us in the mantle of your protection and teach us to say "yes" to Christ each day.

May Our Blessed Mother always lead our hearts to her Son, the Incarnate Word.

So proud of our Saints football team participating in the Tri-Valley 5v5 passing tournament this weekend in Cambridge, Idaho. 4-0 on day one! Verso l’ Alto 🏈💪🏽⛰️