News and Updates

NEW: Changes and updates for 2026

Houstonfest Scholarships

Scholarships at State

Houstonfest history

Teacher-to-teacher tips

Tips for Pair Discussion

Arrival at Kingwood High School

Lunch options
 

State promo video contest

Daily log of changes to State-qualifier list

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

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

Contest promo video #3 (hilarious 2024 State-winning submission from our own Klein Oak High School!)

Photo gallery

Important Dates

Mon., Jan. 12, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens (if grants are approved for 2026); link will be sent to teachers.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund closes (if grants are approved for 2026).

Wed., Jan. 21, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/28).

Wed., Jan. 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $20/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Sat., Jan. 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

Tue., Feb. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 4, 2026, 10:00 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 7, 2026:  Houstonfest, Kingwood High School, Houston.

Fri., Feb. 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for "early bird" price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Wed., Feb. 18, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $20/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Sat., Feb. 21, 2026, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get the link to a Google Form from your teacher). 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). Deadline to postmark your State payment.

Mon., Feb. 23, 2026, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director.

Tue., Feb. 24, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

Sat., Feb. 28, 2026: Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

Sat., Mar. 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

xxx., Mar. xx, 2026: Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

between Sat., Mar. 1 and Thu., Apr. 30, 2026: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Changes and Updates for 2026

The following changes taking effect in 2026 flow primarily from the State steering committee meeting held on May 3, 2025, in Houston:

• Continuity: No new events, no discontinued events, the usual dates and places: Houstonfest on the first Saturday of February (the 7th) at Kingwood High School, State on the last Saturday of February (the 28th) at Texas State University in San Marcos.

• There is a modest price increase for registration: $15 regular deadline, $20 late deadline. These same prices will apply for State.

• Each school may now have 2 entries (instead of previously 1) in Contemporary Music. As with the other cultural events that allow 2 entries per school, a student may not participate in more than 1 of their school's 2 entries in this event.

• This year's Einzeltanz is the Nussetöter Mazurka (first used in 2022). The dance notes, the music, and a video are posted here.

• In Pass auf!, the special topic for this year is Expressionism in the arts of the German-speaking world. Advantaged students may now participate in Pass auf!. Be on the lookout for a new study guide in fall 2025.

• There are minor updates to the rules and/or critique sheets for Doll Costume (various changes in the rules), Gingerbread House (on criterion 3 of critique sheet, language added that majority of the primary structure should be made of gingerbread as opposed to other edible materials), Photo Essay (criterion 2 of critique sheet simplified), Oral Presentation (any note cards used must remain visible during the entire recording), Original Models (clarifying that 3D printing is not allowed), and Research Paper (tweaking procedures for drafting and submitting the papers as Google Docs).

• In art events that require receipts, we would like to clarify that receipts should always be provided in hard copy, not via URL or QR code. We want to keep things simple for the judges.

• In written tests, from now on students will be asked to leave their personal possessions, especially phones and smart watches, at the front of the room, as everyone is accustomed to doing for standardized testing. All they should have with them is a pencil. Students seen in possession of a device during a written test, whether they're actively using it or not, will be immediately disqualified.

• The prompts for Directed Dialogue, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Pair Discussion will undergo an update. Look for the revised lists (DD and Extemp 3/4 only) to be posted around December 1, 2025.

• The seven virtual events will continue with no changes in 2026 except the minor tweaks mentioned above for Oral Presentation, Photo Essay, and Research Paper. Submissions will be due one week before the date of contest (for Houstonfest, virtual events will be due on Saturday, January 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m., and for State, they will be due on Saturday, February 21, 2026, 9:00 a.m.).

• Reverting to an earlier model, the Gail Cope Teacher Grants (up to $500 awarded statewide to help schools purchase items for contest preparation) should only be applied for between the date of the State contest and April 30 each year (rather than year-round).

• We will continue to use online Google Sheets to register for Houstonfest, as we have done the last 4 years. As soon as you know for sure that you will be entering Houstonfest (or even suspect that you might), email Rustin Buck to request a link to a Google Sheet registration spreadsheet that will be unique for your school. Please do not wait until the last minute to request a link. As of this writing in May 2025, the template for 2026 is already finalized, so you may request the link at any time, even if you don't intend to fill out the form right away, so that you'll have it when you do get ready to fill it out. Since the Google Sheet is a shared document, there is no particular moment when you "submit" it, but the director requests that you send him a quick email when you deem the form to be substantially complete. However, you may continue making updates (drops, adds, changes) in the Google Sheet on a rolling basis up to Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 10:00 p.m. After that point, your editing access will be changed to "view only" and your registration will be finalized.