Jan Redinger has been teaching in MCPS since 1974. She began her career at Magruder High School, then transferred to Wheaton High School where she taught "Home Economics" (all areas) for 13 years. She learned how to run a child development program while at Wheaton, getting her Master's degree at the University of Maryland. In 1988 she went to Quince Orchard High School to open the home economics department and begin the child development lab there. When the opportunity arose to open another new school, Northwest, in 1998-00, she took it. Now called "Family and Consumer Sciences," its focus is still the same: to teach families to use all their resources to enrich their lives. Child Development is a living laboratory. Everyone, big or small, has something to share and to learn. From Ms. Redinger: "I enjoy the interaction between the high school students and the preschoolers, both having a lot to learn. And it is exciting to see both groups face challenges, learn how to solve problems, become more self-confident, make friends with people of different ages and backgrounds, and have fun, too!"