Ever wonder what happened to your favorite teacher or administrator in elementary or middle school or what he or she is up to now, but don’t have the time to go visit? This new series on Knight Crier will allow you to go back in time and catch up with them.

If you’ve ever forgotten anything like your gym clothes or your lunch during your time at Pennbrook Middle School you know the familiar sound of your name being called over the intercom by the one and only Pennbrook receptionist, Mrs. Ann Behrens.

Mrs. Behrens grew up in Maine and attended West Brook High School, and right after high school, she started a job at the Work Stop Paper Company as a receptionist where she met her husband of 33 years.

When asked what attracted her to being a receptionist, she told me that like her father she has “a natural instinct for helping people.”

Mrs. Behrens has worked as a receptionist at Pennbrook for twelve years and has greatly enjoyed her position stating, “the kids are the best part about the job, and getting to know them and see entire families come through Pennbrook.”

One of her most memorable and typical moments is when one of the students in seventh grade forgot his lunch and started to cry. She gave him a hug and told him that is okay because this happens in seventh grade. Now this boy is an adult who has recently graduated from college, and even though so much time has passed, she told me she “can still remember his face to this day.”  

My favorite personal memory of Mrs. Behrens would have to be how she told my mom that the only way I was going to get better at not forgetting things at home was to charge her every time that she forgot something. That did the trick for me and I immediately stopped my forgetfulness to save my wallet from quickly being emptied.

Mrs. Behrens children are all grown up and actually also went through Pennbrook. I also learned that her youngest daughter actually didn’t like her mom working at her middle school. When asked about the future she told me that she plans to stay at Pennbrook until she retires. “It’s a fun job,” she laughed. 

When Mrs. Behrens is not at Pennbrook you can usually find her reading, taking care of her family, or baking delicious treats such as cookies and cakes.

Do you have any fond memories of Mrs. Behrens? Share below!

Who are some other teachers we should catch up with?