STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Greenwood Elementary School 5th Grader Sophia Blackman
Brightens everyone's school days
Posted: January 28, 2026
Sophia Blackman enjoys learning with her classmates, thanking her teachers and interacting in a positive way with all of those around her.
Blackman is a fifth grader at Greenwood Elementary School, where she is a valued member of the school community known for her good citizenship. Dedicated to modeling the Gator way at Greenwood, she is described as "an absolute delight to have in the building" by its teachers and administrators.
Her favorite subjects are writing and science. She also really enjoys physical education, and said her favorite parts of the school day are recess and science.
Writing, and particularly essays students are currently working on, is particularly fun for her. Students wrote an essay about corn around Thanksgiving time and wrote about whether or not they liked one particular author's stories.
"Sometimes I complain that I have to do my essay again, when I do my rough drafts," Blackman said. "But me complaining like oh, I don't want to do it -- it's just being funny.
"Because I like writing. I really like writing. I think that's my favorite subject because I feel like sometimes once I get my pencil in the right position, I like writing. It makes me want to write even more."
Blackman is noted for being focused, an active listener in class, a smart decision maker in challenging situations and a good friend to all. Her tips for remaining on task with schoolwork while finding some fun in it are listening to the teacher and taking down notes.
"She always finds a way to get whatever it is she's trying to understand or learn, or if there's an assignment she's trying to finish," teacher Staci Griffin said. "She's going to find a way to get it done. And I definitely admire that about her. She positively affects the people who are around her because it influences them to want to work harder as well."
Blackman is an active participant in NNPS Youth Development's Blossom girls empowerment program, Girls Who Code and Greenwood's Student Council Association. She plays softball year-round outside of school, is very dedicated to the sport and also enjoys traveling frequently with her family.
As part of the SCA, Blackman especially values giving gifts to teachers and staff such as holiday ornaments students gave them as a thank you last year. She appreciates their helpfulness.
"I gave one to my fourth grade teacher last year," Blackman said. "Also, we gave cupcakes. Whenever I have problems, I can come to any teacher or staff member and they will listen to what I'm trying to say."
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