Kris Stewart may have retired as a teacher at Webster Elementary School seven years ago, but many of her pupils’ parents just can’t let go. Last Wednesday, May 4, a party was thrown in her honor.
Roughly 60 mothers of all ages came to honor the teacher with gifts and flowers, unbeknownst to most that it was her 66th birthday. This marked the second time since her retirement that party has been thrown.
Even though their children are now grown, the mothers in attendance remembered Stewart’s innovative teaching techniques, reminisced about making palm frond masks and castles, and couldn’t wait to share with The Malibu Times what they love about her.
“She had a very unique approach to teaching kids,” Mona Kyle, one of the event organizers, said. “By breaking the class into groups, it allowed as much individual attention as possible, and she allowed parents to be in the classroom, which was important to me.”
Julie Pfeiffer, who was a parent aide, praised Stewart’s style and inclusion of parents. “It’s evidenced in the number of people who are here today.”
Stewart, who was raised and still lives in Malibu, taught for 36 years — 12 at Roosevelt Elementary School in Santa Monica and 24 at Webster.
“Teaching at Webster was a dream and I loved every minute,” Stewart said. “Phil Cott was the best principal I could imagine, the kids were bright, eager, and came ready to learn, and the parent support was unparalleled. Who wouldn’t want to teach there for 24 years?”
Stewart herself attended kindergarten at Webster in 1955.
When asked about her fondest memories at Webster, Stewart shared, “In 1977, I came up with news casting, where the kids would cover the news from international, national, sports, weather, movie reviews, cooking, to local and business. While these stories had to be factually correct, the commercials would be pure fiction and usually hilarious. One of my favorites was when the kids interviewed the chef at Guido’s, Joey Escobar, a representative from Mending Kids, and then-Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich. I knew none of these adults. They just showed up because their little fourth-grade friend asked them.”
Stewart explained that they also had a New Yorker cartoonist Leo Cullum visit, and after the 2007 fire in Malibu, the entire crew from the station behing Ralphs arrived in all their gear.
“Needless to say, they got a standing ovation from a grateful classroom of people,” Stewart recalled.
Stewart estimates that she taught at least 600 children through her years at Webster, many for multiple years. She taught her own three children for third grade.
“They called me Mrs. Stewart until 3 p.m.” she said. All three children were valedictorians at Malibu High School and went on to prestigious universities. Scott, 33, is currently clerking on the U.S. Supreme Court; Doug, 31, a former junior National Champion in Tennis, teaches tennis in Malibu and is about to graduate with an MBA; daughter Kelly, 28, has a master’s degree in education and is producing a web show. Stewart’s husband, Forrest, teaches tennis.
“Today’s a testament to how many lives she’s affected, not only in students’ but in the families of the kids she’s had in her class,” son Doug shared. “She’s been a really great teacher for a lot of people and we all love her.”
Long-time Webster Administrative Assistant Lore Meline recalled meeting Stewart for the first time.
“I remember like it was just yesterday … when Kris Stewart came walking up Winter Canyon Road with her little boy Scotty, two years old, on her hand and Doug on the other and coming to the Webster office and telling us she was going to be a teacher,” Meline said. “Larry Miller was the principal at the time and he told me what a wonderful teacher she was, and it absolutely turned out to be true. We share wonderful memories together.”
“She influenced generations of students going through Webster and beyond,” parent Fia Hoffman shared. “She used to do letters that the kids would write [on the topic of] ‘What am I going to be when I grow up?’ and the kids wrote back to her saying this is what I thought I was going to do and this is what I’m doing now. It was a letter to yourself 10 years from now. The ideas that she had back then were amazing … It’s that innovation within the education and we’re all here because of that.”
