Rebekah Baptiste's Phoenix school remembers her as 'smiling' and 'happy'

Rebekah Baptiste honored in a magenta-filled celebration of her life

Ten-year-old Rebekah Baptiste was remembered by her school and community on Thursday in a ceremony honoring the life she lived, not the way it was tragically taken. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach reports.

PHOENIX - Ten-year-old Rebekah Baptiste was remembered by her school and community on Thursday in a ceremony honoring the life she lived, not the way it was tragically taken.

Her father and his girlfriend, Richard Baptiste and Anicia Woods, face first-degree murder charges in her death.

What we know:

The gymnasium at Empower College Prep was filled with her favorite color, magenta, and former teachers and classmates gathered to remember the beautiful, blue-eyed girl.

Rebekah’s fourth-grade teacher, Phenicia Swalley, recalled the routine of brushing Rebekah's hair.

"I remember when you started coming to school and your hair wasn't brushed. I took you aside, and I asked if I could brush your hair. From that day forward, it became our thing. I would put it in a clip and I did my best to make you feel like a confident, beautiful little girl," Swalley said. "How lucky was I?"

Despite the turmoil she endured at home, teachers described Rebekah as a bright and brilliant girl with a smile that captivated the room. They said they have peace knowing she is no longer in pain but are angry that she should still be here.

The school has planted a tree in her honor to symbolize the life she had ahead of her. Attendees were given a magenta clothespin with her name on it to remember her.

‘I got to show you love …’

Rebekah's third and fourth-grade teachers, Penny Roubison and Swalley, witnessed firsthand how resilient she was.

"I was lucky because I got to show you love, when the people you wanted to most refused to," Swalley said.

Swalley also shared how grateful she was to have spent the last year of Rebekah's life with her.

"Little did I know you were in my room to teach me more than I could ever teach you. How lucky was I?" she said.

Rebekah Baptiste

Roubison spoke of Rebekah's strength, asking, "How does an eight-year-old go home to what she was going home to ... how does somebody come back to school smiling and happy?"

Her poem, "Magenta (Pink if you don't know) by Rebekah," now lives on in Roubison's third-grade classroom.

There's an empty seat and Rebekah's name on the attendance sheet at Empower College Prep. Swalley described the pain of seeing her name on the roster.

"To not have her, I just I saw her on my roster. I mean, it's just … it's been horrific," Swalley said.

Rebekah's former foster mother, as well as her three siblings, were at the service. Her former foster mother shared stories, sharing that Rebekah was the most helpful and kindest foster child she's ever had.

Crime and Public Safety Phoenix News