About us

The Jeremian Preparatory Learning Academy is an educational institution that educates children from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade. While the institution welcomes all children of diverse backgrounds, it primarily focuses on and targets the low to no income children of minorities.
The Jeremian Preparatory Learning Academy will provide an educational experience by including an environment and curriculum where children grow and develop through guided self- discovery of who they are as well as develop their natural skills and talents. The objective is to help students build skills that prepare and help them excel in college and become global competitors and leaders in the workforce.

Our mission

The Jeremian Preparatory Learning Academy’s mission is to empower our students to realize their greatest God given potential and to become well-rounded global citizens and transformational leaders by providing a platform of quality Christian education that includes a partnership with the students, their parents, the Church and the community.

Our Educational Philosophy

We at the Jeremian Preparatory Learning Academy believe the concepts of a true Christian education are these:
      • Every child is predestined by God – born with specific purpose to advance the Kingdom of God.

      • The purpose of education is to serve God and others. To fulfill God’s purpose for one’s life.

      • God has given differing abilities to each student. It is our responsibility to challenge each student according to his/her ability and to teach him/her at his/her academic level.

      • At school, the teacher stands in the place of the parent. We are here to serve the parents. Each student is different—motivated and disciplined differently.

Our Core Values

The Jeremian Preparatory Learning Academy (J-PLAY) believes in Christ-centered teaching that includes student centered instruction where students are developed according to their specific abilities placed in them by God, so that a child is empowered to live a life characterized by love, trust and obedience to Christ.

Our Core Values are:

    • Living a Christ – Centered LifeJeremian Prep students understand that education is more valuable than money (Proverbs 16:16). Students learn to model their lives after Christ.
    • That is:

– Putting God First in all Things (Matthew 6:33)
– Modeling a Life of Integrity (I Peter 3:16)
– Biblical Teaching and Application (Proverbs 4:7)
– Educational Excellence (II Timothy 2:15)

    • Giving to Others – Jeremian Prep students practice a life of community service where they participate in the giving of their time, talent, and treasure.

    • Serving our Communities – Jeremian Prep students are developed to become future transformational leaders; learning to use their talents, gifts, and skills to develop and enhance communities.

  • Cultural Awareness – Jeremian Prep students learn and appreciate different cultures; their histories and contributions to society.

Meet The Tutors

Shonna Washington

President/Founder/Tutor

Shonna Washington is the President and Founder of Jeremian Tutoring Services. Her motto is “Improving the opportunities of our children…one child at a time.”
Shonna has her BS in Finance and MS in General Education. She is a current doctoral student in education with a planned graduation date of 2023.
Shonna has nearly 20 years of professional teaching and training experience within the corporate and private sector. She loves tutoring and teaching but especially loves working with children. She has become an advocate for children in learning communities.
Shonna believes in having a “level playing ground” across the board. She understands that one size does not fit all and that unique learning experiences are needed for students to be successful in school. Shonna has also become an advocate for teachers; taking advantage of opportunities to partner with them to discover ways to improve students’ educational experience as well as support teachers as they educate our children.

Samantha Edwards

Tutor

Samantha Edwards is married with two sons. She was the Owner/Director of a Child Care Service for 28 years. She specializes in Reading Comprehension, Spelling, and Vocabulary. Samantha achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She also completed a Master Degree in Educational Assessment and Evaluation. Samantha has also obtained a Certificate in Criminal Justice and Behavior Analysis which allows her to work with children who are Autistic. She recently completed her Certification as a Parent Trainer. Which gives her the opportunity to assist parents to better communicate with their children.

Liana Harper-Cruz

Tutor

Liana Harper-Cruz is a Kindergarten Special Education teacher and is proud to be a part of the Department of Education’s NYC Teaching Collaborative Program. This highly selective program allows her to teach while pursuing her Master of Education in General Education / Special Education for grades 1-6. Before becoming a Special Education teacher, she was a music teacher for 2 years, where she taught vocal music and movement for grades pre-k through 8th for the Archdiocese of New York. When she is not teaching, she can spend quality time with her husband, 8-year-old daughter, and 3-year-old son.

Sharon Edmonston

Tutor

Sharon Edmonston has been an elementary school teacher for the past 17 years, teaching all subjects to elementary students in grades 1-5 and this year STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts, and Math).

Her driving passion, purpose and calling is to help children realize their dreams and potential. She believes children build hope from their ability to see themselves successful and this can either be cultivated or hampered by teachers. This passion has been cultivated over the years while teaching in a variety of settings, as well as, watching the tremendous impact both positive and negative education has had on her 3 children and now 4 grandchildren.

Sharon has her BA from Adelphi University, Master of Science with Honors in Education from Dowling College, and an Advanced Graduate Certificate with honors, in Educational Leadership on both the School Building and School District levels.

When she’s not teaching, Sharon enjoys spending time with her devoted husband of 37 years.