As teachers our job is to teach students. We do not only teach academics and standards, but we also teach students to become productive members of our community.

Our job is to offer insight and opportunity. We serve as role models, counselors, and advocates. We have a job not outlined in our job description; to show students how to give back to their community.

Saturday, Jan. 5, was opening day for the 2013 Konocti Basketball League (KBL) season.

Players and their families gathered at Lower Lake High School for a day of fun, teamwork and community celebration.

KBL has been bringing our community together for 25 years. The league serves more than 300 students in our community.

Students in good academic standing in grades three through eight are encouraged to participate in this extracurricular league.

Volunteers of all ages come together to make KBL possible each Saturday of the season.

This year there are 33 teams run by volunteer coaches and assistant coaches.

All of the volunteer scorekeepers, referees, bookkeepers and coordinators keep KBL alive with their dedication to our community.

Students are not only playing basketball, but learning to ref games, selling concessions and keeping score.

“We have an abundance of students from the high school that are volunteering their time,” said KBL coordinator Barbara Montalvan.

“We are a feeder program for the high school basketball teams, if students are sincerely interested in playing at the high school level,” she added.

Students are learning to give back to themselves and their community.

Teachers notice. Teachers appreciate. On behalf of the Konocti Educators Association (KEA) we would like to thank all of the volunteers that give this opportunity to our students and our community.

Nikki Sabatier lives in Lower Lake, Calif.