About Ms Tara
Ms Tara

My name is Ms Tara. This is my 18th year as a music educator and my 9th year here at Quarles Elementary. I am so excited to be your child's music teacher this year as we explore the world of music. I am originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from Westminster Choir College with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education. I am thrilled to make music with your children this year! Feel free to contact me any time at tara.ladner@lbsdk12.com

Lessons '19-'20

3 months ago

By Tara Ladner

Aug. 6-9  Class #1

K-3:  Introductions, Role call, "Hello Around the World" song,  Read "Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School."

Class #2

K-3:  Bus drills, Review "Hello Around the World" song, Incredibox song-making game.

Aug. 12-16  Class #1

K-3:  Review rules and procedures,  "About Me" presentation, Begin assigning seats.

Class #2

K-3:  Complete seat assignments.

Aug. 19-23  Class #1

K-3:  Finish assigning seats/check seats

Class #2

K-3:  Seat treats, begin Patriotic songs and folk songs.

Aug. 26-30  Class #1

K-1:  Review National Anthem, Top 10 Best/Worst, TumbleTunes

2-3:  Review National Anthem and "America", Introduce "America the Beautiful" and "This Land is Your Land", Top 10 Best/Worst

Class #2

K-3:  Tie up loose ends with patriotic songs.  Review/Introduce instrument families.

Sept. 3-6  Class #1

K-3:  Book fair during activity

Class #2

K-3:  Book fair during activity

Sept. 9-13  Class #1

K-3:  Begin learning about the brass family of instruments.  Play identification game.

Class #2

K-3:  Learn about the woodwind family.  Play identification game. Interact with woodwind instruments.

Sept.  16-20  Class #1

K-3:  Classes who earned enough gumballs on their reward chart will get to play instrument bingo for treats and bearcat bucks.

Class #2

K-3:  Classes who earned enough gumballs on their reward chart will get to play instrument bingo for treats and bearcat bucks.

Sept.  23-27  Class #1

1:  Start learning music for show

K, 2, 3:  Learn the instruments of the string family.  Play identification game.  Interact with string instruments.

Class #2

1:  Learn songs for show

K, 2, 3:  Learn instruments of the percussion family.  Play identification game.  Interact with percussion instruments.

Sept. 30-Oct. 4  Class #1

1: Show Music

K, 2, 3:  "First Music" (Bleeckie)

Class #2

1:  Show music

K, 2, 3:  Peter and the Wolf

Oct. 8-11  Class #1

K, 3:  Review instrument families

1, 2:  Work on show music

Class #2

K, 3:  Quiz on instrument families

1, 2:  Continue work on show music

Oct. 14-18  Class #1

K, 3:  Stories "I Need My Monster" & 
"Hey! That's My Monster!"

1, 2:  Show music plus some choreography

Class #2

K-3:  Bearcat Market

Oct. 21-25  Class #1

K, 3:  Halloween Songs

1, 2:  Continued work on show songs and choreography

Class #2

K-3:  Gumballs surprise for classes who filled their gumball machines.

Oct. 28-Nov. 1  Class #1

K, 2, 3:  Behavior reward

1:  Work on show

Class #2

K, 2, 3:  Candy corn quiz

1:  Work on show

Nov. 4-8  Class #1

K:  "Bear Hunt", "The First Music" story w/ instruments

1:  Show practice

2, 3:  Finish remaining candy corn quizzes; 2nd work on show, Incredibox with any completed classes.

Class #2

K:  Incredibox

1, 2:  Show practice.

3:  Sheherazade, by composer Nickolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Nov. 11-15  Class#1

K:  SIng-a-long day

1, 2:  Show practice

3:  SIng-a-long day

Class #2

K:  SIng-a-long day

1:  SIng-a-long day

2:  Show practice

3:  SIng-a-long day

Nov. 18-22  Class #1

K:  Thanksgiving songs

1:  Thanksgiving songs

2:  Solo auditions

3:  Thanksgiving songs

Class #2

K:  Thanksgiving songs

1:  Thanksgiving songs

2:  Solo auditions

3:  Thanksgiving songs

Dec. 2-6  Class #1

K-3:  SANTALAND!!!

Class #2

K-3:  SANTALAND!!!

Dec. 9-13  Class #1

K-3:  Last of Santaland

Class #2

K-3:  Christmas Carols

Dec. 16-20  Class #1

K-3:  Christmas Carols

Class #2

K-3:  Christmas Carols

Jan. 8-10  Class #1

K-3:  Bus Evacuation Drills

Class #2

K-2:  Read Squirrel's New Year's Resolution book.  Talk about New Year's Resolutions and learn song Auld Lang Syne.

3:  Begin learning notes of the treble clef

Jan. 13-17  Class #1

K-3: Bearcat Market

Class #2

K-3:  Bearcat Market

Jan. 21-24  Class #1

K:  Begin learning The Little Red Hen

1-2:  Hansel and Gretel Opera

3:  Review Treble clef notes

Class #2

K:  Begin learning The Little Red Hen

1-2:  Hansel and Gretel Opera

3:  Review Treble clef notes

Jan. 27-31  Class #1

K:  Continue learning The Little Red Hen

1-2:  Finish designing the Hansel & Gretel Opera

3:  Continue reviewing treble clef notes

Class #2

K:  Continue learning The Little Red Hen

1:  Review string and percussion instrument families.

2:  Review and Reflect on Elflandia performance

3:  Treble Clef quiz

Feb. 3-7  Class #1

K-3: BOOKFAIR

Class #2

K-3:  BOOKFAIR


Feb. 10-14  Class #1

K:  Learn remaining songs for show

1:  "First Music" & Bleeckie meets the orchestra

2:  Play Instrument family game

3:  Finish treble clef quiz and corrections

Class #2

K:  Begin learning choreography

1:  Peter and the Wolf/Quavers

2:  Incredibox/Quavers

3:  Receive recorders and begin introduction to the instrument

Feb. 17-21  Class #1

K:  Group auditions for solo parts

1 & 2:  Reviewing steady beat and how beats are organized

3:  Introduction to recorders

Class #2

K:  Learn remaining choreography

1 & 2:  Strong and weak beats, beat episode, and how we use our voices

3:  Learn note "B" on recorder

Feb. 26-28  Class #1

K-3:  Mardi Gras Holiday

Class #2

K:  Continue reviewing choreography

1 & 2:  Take quirky quiz on beat

3:  Review note "B" and learn "Walk like a Mummy" song

March 2-6  Class #1

K:  Practice all songs with no help from accompanying voices.

1:  Continue activities in Quavers Marvelous World of Music that practice finding strong and weak beats.

2:  Continue to identify beat groupings using Quavers.

3:  Learn Review note B and recorder procedures.  Learn/Review note A and combine first 2 notes into a song.

Class #2

K:  Continue reviewing for show

1:  Learn about the differences between meters of 2, 3 & 4

2:  Review the different meters

3:  Learn note G

Mar. 9-13  Class #1

K:  Final touches on show practice

1-2:  Rhythm and Meter episodes and quizzes

3:  Recorder songs review and teach new A, B Song.

Class #2

K:  Begin practicing in the caf.

1-2:  Bach's Brain and World instruments

3:  Begin learning show music

Lessons '18-'19

3 months ago

By Tara Ladner

Aug. 6-10  Class #1

K - 3:  Getting to know you.

- Read "Music Teacher from the Black Lagoon"

-  "Getting to Know You" presentation

Class #2

K - 3:  Get Assigned seats and learn students names and a little bit about each person.

Aug. 13-17  Class #1

K - 3:  Check seat #'s and get seat treats.

Class #2

K - 3:  Final seat check

- Patriotic songs:  Star-Spangled Banner, begin learning how to sing.

Aug. 20-24  Class #1

K - 1:  Learn National Anthem with movements.  Learn other American Folk Songs.

2 - 3:  Continue learning National Anthem.  PebbleGO Francis Scott Key.

(Spence/Taylor:  Special song)

Class #2

K - 1:  Continue American Folk/Patriotic songs, TumbleTunes

2 - 3:  Finish lesson on Francis Scott Key and other historical events surrounding that time.  M. Dice clip and National Anthem bloopers.

Aug. 27-31  Class #1

K - 1:  Remaining Tumble Tunes and get up and go songs.

2 - 3:  Wrap up Francis Scott Key lesson and remaining patriot info and songs.

Class #2

K - 3:  Introduction/Review of musical instrument families.

Sept. 4-7  Class #1

Missed due to hurricane days

Class #2

K - 3:  Play instrument review games on the Smartboard.

Sept. 10-14  Class #1

K - 3:  Finish instrument review games for bearcat bucks.

Class #2

K:  "Bleeckie and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra", Read "The First Music", go on a bear hunt.

1:  Listen to and learn 1st 2 songs of grade level show.

2 - 3:  "Bleeckie" and read "The First Music" with instrument sound effects.

Sept. 17-21  Class #1

K:  Instrument Bingo

1:  Review first 2 songs and learn next song in grade level show.

2 - 3:  Instrument Family Quiz

Class #2

K - 3:  Instrument Bingo for all classes who filled their behavior gumball charts.

Sept. 24-28  Class #1

K:  Peter and the Wolf story with recording and worksheet.

1:  Continue reviewing and working on songs.

2 - 3:  Instrument Hangman & Concentration

Class #2

K - 3:  Story of Peter and the Wolf with full orchestrations.

Oct. 2-5  Class #1

K - 3:  Finish any remaining parts of Peter and the Wolf.

(1:  Continue preparing for show)


Class #2

K, 1, 3:  Halloween Songs

2:  Begin learning songs for "Elfis" show

Oct. 9-12  Class#1

K & 3:  Tumblebooks Halloween stories, "Monster Mash," "Ogre Fun," "Frank was a Monster who wanted to Dance"

1 & 2:  Practice show music and choreography

Class #2

K-3:  "I Want my Monster" & "Hey! That's my Monster"

Oct. 15-19  Class #1

K & 3:  Just Dance Halloween

1 & 2:  Practice show music and choreography

Class #2

K, 2, 3:  First part of Halloween surprise activity, Halloweentown.

1:  Show Rehearsal

Oct. 22-26  Class #1

K, 2, 3:  Part 2 of Halloween surprise activity.

1:  Show rehearsal

Class #2

K, 2, 3:  Candy corn quiz

1:  Show rehearsal

Oct. 29-Nov. 2  Class #1

K-3:  Halloween songs

Class #2

K-3:  Finish remaining candy corn quizzes and Just Dance Halloween.

Nov. 5-9  Class #1

K, 2, 3:  "Where's Waldo" Game.  Focus and finding.

1:  Show rehearsal

Class #2

K, 2, 3:  "Bad Case of Stripes" about being an individual and unique.

1:  Show rehearsal

Nov. 12-16  Class #1

2:  Rehearse Show, begin auditions

3:  Introduce notes of the treble clef

Class #2

2:  Continue auditioning

3:  Continue reviewing treble clef 

Nov.  19-23

THANKSGIVING
BREAK!!!!!

Nov.  19-23

              THANKSGIVING
              BREAK!!!!!

Nov.  26-30  Class #1

K, 1, 3:  The Opera of Hansel and Gretel

2:  Review show

Class #2

               K, 1, 3:  The Opera of Hansel and                           Gretel 

               2:  Review show

Dec.  3-7  Class #1

K-3:  Santaland during activity

Class #2

K-3:  Santaland during activity

Dec.  10-14  Class #1

K-3:  Preparations for 2nd grade show

Class #2

K-3:  Preparations for 2nd grade show

Dec.  17-21  Class #1

K-3:  Bearcat Market during activity

Class #2

K-3:  Bearcat Market during activity

Dec.  24-Jan. 7

WINTER

HOLIDAY!!!!!!

Dec.  24-Jan. 7

              WINTER

              HOLIDAY!!!!!!

Jan.  8-11  Class #1

K-3:  Bus Evacuation Drills

Class #2

K-3:  Read Squirrel's New Year's Resolution book.  Talk about New Year's Resolutions and learn song Auld Lang Syne.

Jan.  14-18  Class #1

K-3:  New seating chart

K:  Begin learning "Little Red Hen"

1:  Scheherazade

2-3:  Treble Clef note introduction/review

Class #2

K:  Little Red Hen

1:  Scheherazade

2-3:  Treble Clef note review

Jan.  21-25  Class #1

K:  Practice songs for show

1-2:  Finish Sheherazade/Incredibox

3:  Treble Clef note quiz

Class #2

K:  Continue introducing new songs

1-2:  Incredibox

3:  Treble Clef note quiz


Jan.  28-Feb. 1  Class #1

K:  Practice for show

1-2:  Introduce world renowned violinist Joshua Bell.  Story and performance.

3:  Quiz corrections

Class #2

K:  Practice for show.

1-2:  Joshua Bell

3:  Distribute and introduce recorders

Feb.  4-8  Class #1

K:  Practice for show

1-2:  Lunar New Year, Story of Nian, Tikki, Tikki Tembo, Song in Mandarin "Zhao Peng You"

3:  Introduce Recorders

Class #2

K:  Practice for show

1-2:  Review "Zhao Peng You", Play Dragon Sequencing Game, Lion Dance.

3:  Recorders

Feb.  11-15  Class #1

K:  Introduce Choreography

1-2:  Quaver's Marvelous World of Music

3:  Recorders/Quavers

Class #2

K:  Audition girls for the role of the "Little Red Hen"

1-2:  Quavers

3:  Recorders/Quavers

Feb.  18-22  Class #1

K:  Show practice

1-2:  Quavers

3:  Recorders/Quavers

Class #2

K:  Practice/Quavers

1-2:  Quavers

3:  Recorders/Quavers