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News and Updates

 

Houstonfest Scholarships: Winners Announced

 

Scholarships at State

 

NEW: Houstonfest history

 

Changes and updates for 2024

 

Contest promo video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

 

Contest promo video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

 

State promo video contest

 

Teacher-to-teacher tips

 

Tips for Pair Discussion

 

Arrival at Kingwood High School

 

Lunch options
 

Photo gallery

 

Daily log of changes to State-qualifier list

 

Important Dates

 

Mon. Jan. 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from Houston Saengerbund opens (teachers will be sent a link to a Google Form).

 

Thur., Jan. 18, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (extended by 2 days, previous deadline 1/16):  Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/22).

 

Mon., Jan. 22, 2024, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

 

Sat., Jan. 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher - it was sent to them on Wed., Jan. 24).

 

Tue., Jan. 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

 

Wed., Jan. 31, 2024, 9:30 p.m.Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

 

Sat., Feb. 3, 2024 Houstonfest, Heights High School, Houston.

 

Fri., Feb. 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m.State online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/14).

 

Wed., Feb. 14, 2024, 11:59 p.m.State online registration due for regular price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark your State payment.

 

Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get the link to a Google Form from your teacher; it was emailed to them on 2/7 by the State director). Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship and Sandra Dieckman GTHS Memorial Scholarship applications due (to submit the application, get the link to a Google Form from your teacher; it was emailed to them on 2/10 by the State director).

 

Mon., Feb. 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director.

 

Tue., Feb. 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

 

Sat., Feb. 24, 2024 Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

 

Sat., Mar. 2, 2024, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

 

Sun., Mar. 10, 2024Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

 

rolling basis but no later than Tue., Apr. 30, for payment this school year: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Rules

 

Main Rules Page Arts Declamation Drama Music
Oral Tests Pass auf! Research Paper Scavenger Hunt Written Tests

 

Advantaged Speakers

 

Sweepstakes

 

All rules in one document

 

Rules for the 7 virtual events in one document

 

Show your love for the Texas German contest system by producing a promotional video and entering our contest. You could win $250! Click here for the contest guidelines.

 

Teachers must collect and submit this Consent and Release of Liability form for each student who participates in any virtual event at Houstonfest (and State). (This applies only to students entering one of the seven virtual events, but if for simplicity's sake you decide to collect them from all your students, that's certainly fine.) The forms of all students participating in virtual events from each school must be scanned or otherwise consolidated into ONE PDF document and submitted no later than the virtual-submission deadline using this Google Form. The initial submission will also be good for the State contest (no need to resubmit for State).

 

General rules:

  • All participants in Houstonfest are responsible for taking care of and keeping up with their own belongings. Neither the host school (Kingwood High School), its German teacher David Kniess, Houstonfest, Houstonfest director Rustin Buck, the Houstonfest steering committee, nor the umbrella organization Texas State German Contests, Inc. is responsible for items lost or left behind at the contest.

  • Only German teachers may register students for Houstonfest; we do not accept registration from individual students.

  • Any German teacher who registers one or more contestants must attend Houstonfest and serve as a judge (unless the director grants an exemption, which will be done only in extremely extraordinary situations).

  • Teachers should follow their school district's policy regarding student eligibility to participate in contests.
  • Each contestant...

    • must be in grade 7*, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 ( * 7th-graders may enter if they are enrolled in a course that earns them credit for German I by the end of 7th grade, i.e., they will move on to German II in 8th grade; students who are taking German 1a in 7th grade and will continue to German 1b in 8th grade should wait until their 8th-grade year to start entering contest);

    • must be a student at a school where the registering teacher works;

    • must be currently enrolled in a German course at that school, or if not, must have previously completed at least two years of German instruction AND be a current member of that school's German Club or German NHS. There are two exceptions to this:  A Classical Ensemble may contain one "wild-card" student who is not currently taking and has not previously taken German. A Polka Band may contain up to two such "wild-card" students. "Wild-card" entries are allowed only in these two events.

The spirit of the foregoing rule is to prevent a school from stacking its entries with "mercenary" artists, dancers, musicians, writers, etc. who have no real connection to the school's German program in order to bolster the team's entries. On the other hand, we do not want to exclude the occasional student who loves German and who took two or three years of it and who wants to continue participating in Houstonfest but who, for whatever reason, is not currently taking German. Please note, however, that any contestant not currently enrolled in a German course should be entered in the level they would be in if they had continued taking German. For example, if John stops taking German after completing German III but still wants to enter Houstonfest the next year, he should be entered in Level 4 events.

  • For liability reasons, video recordings are not allowed in any room where students are competing or performing. If parents and/or teachers wish to record a performance, they should plan on doing it during a rehearsal or performance at their respective school.
The contest director may assign a designated contest photographer to take pictures or video footage throughout contest for informational or publicity purposes. This will be immediately submitted to the director on contest day. No student faces may be used from this footage.

However, the contest director will accept video segments as well as still photos from individual schools after contest has occurred (to be used for promotional purposes, e.g., on the website). By submitting these, teachers give permission for Houstonfest and Texas State German Contests, Inc. to use them for informational or publicity purposes. Before submitting such photos/videos, teachers must make sure that students have permission forms on file at their school allowing for photos/videos to be used on the website.

When is the next Houstonfest?

 

Saturday,

February 8, 2025

 

Where is Houstonfest?

 

Kingwood High School

2701 Kingwood Dr.

Kingwood, TX 77339

(new location in 2025!)

 

Link to Texas State German Contest

 

Texas State German Contest on Facebook

 

Texas State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group