{"id":15278,"date":"2026-06-18T09:22:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=15278"},"modified":"2026-06-18T09:22:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:22:45","slug":"new-benches-honor-the-memory-of-kempsville-elementary-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/new-benches-honor-the-memory-of-kempsville-elementary-students\/","title":{"rendered":"New benches honor the memory of Kempsville Elementary students"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Two new benches at Kempsville Elementary honored the memory of Tasheika and Reginald Madison’s twin daughters I’lianah and I’lisiah. The staff surrounded them in support during the dedication ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Cindy Butler Focke<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kempsville Elementary students and staff collected soft stretch plastics to earn two composite benches made of recycled materials. They were dedicated on June 12 to students I’lianah and I’lisiah Madison, who passed away last year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A special dedication ceremony took place June 12 at Kempsville Elementary School.<\/p>\n

Two new benches will honor students I\u2019lianah and I\u2019lisiah Madison. The twin sisters passed away last year at the ages of 9 and 10, respectively.<\/p>\n

Principal Heidi Rinehart-Richardson spoke to friends and staff members who gathered with their family for a touching memorial tribute.<\/p>\n

I\u2019lianah and I\u2019lisiah Madison spread joy throughout the school, Rinehart-Richardson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have two benches to dedicate to our two sweethearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cbuddy benches\u201d in the school lobby are available for anyone who \u201cneeds a moment or a friend,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Each is in memory of a sister and includes a plaque and QR code linked to a slide show of happy memories.<\/p>\n

Tears flowed as staff members shared heartfelt stories of the girls who began Kempsville Elementary as kindergarteners in 2022 after their family moved from Georgia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
I\u2019lisiah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They were enrolled in the VBCPS Academic Adaptive Foundations(AAF), a specialized special education program for students with significant cognitive disabilities.<\/p>\n

Both touched so many lives.<\/p>\n

Each had a unique personality. I\u2019lianah loved music, singing and dancing, while I\u2019lisiah favored sports, including basketball, soccer and even wrestling.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
I\u2019lianah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

School physical therapist Lucy Leyden said the girls were \u201ca ray of sunshine.\u201d\u00a0 Their mobility progress was amazing, she said.\u00a0 \u201cThey blew us away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teacher Heather Eure applauded their determination and hard work. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget their sour patch kid energy,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were so sweet to have in class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teacher assistant Destiny Shepard remembered the twins\u2019 great sense of humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey made a difference around here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Several Kempsville Elementary staff members shared how two special students touched their lives. Two new benches in the school lobby were dedicated to I’lianah and I’lisiah Madison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Assistant principal Karen Lewis described them as \u201ca gift\u201d to the school and thanked their parents for entrusting them with their education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have left a legacy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Lewis fondly recalled how they\u2019d dance when she played music on her phone while waiting with them for the school bus home some afternoons.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they never met a lanyard they didn\u2019t like,\u201d she said with a smile.<\/p>\n

Rianna Connor said I\u2019lianah and I\u2019lisiah changed her life.<\/p>\n

The special education teacher recently began a special needs ministry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for opening up your hearts to us,\u201d she told the twins\u2019 parents.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kempsville Elementary principal Heidi Rinehart-Richardson spoke during a special dedication ceremony June 12 in honor of I’lianah and I’lisiah Madison.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tasheika and Reginald Madison received lots of hugs during their return to Kempsville Elementary for the gathering to honor their daughters.<\/p>\n

They recalled being very nervous about sending them to school after moving to the area, but the feeling soon dissipated.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the first meeting, there was a connection,\u201d Tasheika Madison said.<\/p>\n

The Madisons thanked teachers and staff. \u201cEvery single one of them made an impact,\u201d the twins\u2019 mother said.<\/p>\n

Rinehart-Richardson said the entire school community learned so much from the twins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all matter,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all belong here and have something to contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Buddy Benches<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The benches dedicated to the Madison twins was made possible by Kempsville Elementary students and staff through the
NexTrex recycling challenge program. They collected 1,000 pounds of soft stretchy plastics during each of the past school years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kempsville Elementary\u2019s benches were made possible by students and staff.<\/p>\n

Volunteer and substitute teacher Sandra Jimenez, whose two children just finished second and fifth grade at the school, heard about another school\u2019s \u201cbuddy bench.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a student saw someone sitting on the buddy bench alone, they knew that person needed a friend,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought it was such a beautiful idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

She learned about the NexTrex recycling challenge program created by Trex, a composite decking manufacturer.<\/p>\n

Schools, civic groups and organizations that collect 1,000 pounds of soft stretchy plastics within a year are awarded a composite bench made of recycled materials.<\/p>\n

Kempsville Elementary students and staff rose to the challenge during the past two school years by bringing plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap and other acceptable items to school and placing them in the NexTrex bin.<\/p>\n

Jimenez said the idea to dedicate the two benches to the Madison twins \u201cwas in everyone\u2019s hearts and minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information visit https:\/\/nextrex.com\/view\/programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kempsville Elementary staff members signed framed photographs of I’lianah and I’lisiah Madison, which were presented to their parents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Madison twins made a huge impact on the lives of Kempsville Elementary staff and students. Benches were dedicated in their memory June 12.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cindy Butler Focke A special dedication ceremony took place June 12 at Kempsville Elementary School. Two new benches will honor students I\u2019lianah and I\u2019lisiah Madison. The twin sisters passed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":15279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-connections","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15278"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15294,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15278\/revisions\/15294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}