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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.

Daily Log of Changes to State-Qualifier List

 

After Houstonfest, some schools and individuals opt not to attend State for various reasons. Teachers should inform the Houstonfest director as soon as possible if their school as a whole or any individuals from their school will not participate in State. When this happens, the name of each entry that will not attend State is dropped from the state-qualifier list, and the next entry (from places 6-10) is moved up. These changes are reflected in the results spreadsheet, but for the convenience of teachers who are watching for changes that affect their students, this page will also contain a log of the changes made each day. Whenever possible, the Houstonfest director will also contact the teacher of anyone who can move up to inform them directly.

 

Clarification of policy effective starting in 2023:  If a student who qualifies for State cannot physically attend the State contest, follow these procedures:

  • For individual in-person events (written tests, one-person oral tests, poetry memory, prose memory, vocal solo), you must inform the Houstonfest director so that he can drop your student and move up the next student from places 6-10. You do NOT have the option to replace the student in such events with someone else from your school.

  • For any of the 7 virtual events (digital logo design, oral presentation, photo essay, poetry reading, prose reading, research paper, video show), the entry is already complete (although you're certainly welcome to revise/improve it before State if you want to), so enter the student in State and submit the virtual entry for them (or they can submit it themselves), even though they are not attending in person. If you opt not to enter it after all, inform the Houstonfest director.

  • For non-virtual art events, enter the student in State and bring the project to State for them, even though they are not attending in person. If you opt not to enter it after all, inform the Houstonfest director.

  • For pair events (duet acting, Einzeltanz, pair discussion), if ONE member of a pair from your school cannot physically attend State but the other one can, you may replace the one who can't attend with another student from your school from an appropriate level (if applicable), provided that the replacement student is not already part of another pair entering that same event at State. If BOTH members of a pair cannot attend State, you must inform the Houstonfest director that you are dropping that event.

  • For group events (those with three or more participants), you may replace a student who cannot physically attend State with another student from your school from an appropriate level (if applicable).

  • In all cases where one student replaces another at State, reflect the change in your State alpha list and be aware that the judges will make no special accommodations for replacement students joining a group at the last minute (e.g., they will be penalized if they have to read from a script or sheet music in an event that requires memorization).

Changes made on 2/6/2024:

 

To fill spots at State left unclaimed by Sprachfest and/or Winterfest, the following groups are invited to compete at State (but will earn no sweepstakes points or credit towards any individual scholarships; exception: the moved-up Pass auf! teams will earn sweepstakes points and credit toward scholarships):

 

Affecting Brazoswood HS:

Move up Varsity Pass auf! (accepted).

 

Affecting Cinco Ranch HS:

Move up Contemporary Music (declined).

 

Affecting Clements HS:

Move up Novice Pass auf! (accepted).

 

Affecting Jordan HS:

Move up Duet Acting Upper (Beatriz Laepple, Isabella Ordonez) (accepted).

 

Affecting Klein Oak HS:

Move up Contemporary Music (accepted).

 

Affecting Taylor HS:

Move up Scavenger Hunt (accepted).

 

Affecting Tompkins HS:

Move up Duet Acting Lower (Linea Martin, Hannah Stokes) (accepted, later moved up anyway due to a drop, so the no-sweepstakes/scholarships provision does not apply to them).

Move up Duet Acting Lower (Alexander Drews, Samuel Homes) (accepted).

 

----------

 

Affecting Travis HS:

Drop G. Susarla (Clements HS) from Grammar 1, move up Ethan Johnson (Travis HS).

 

Changes made on 2/8/2024:

 

Affecting Bellaire HS:

Drop N. Beydoun (The Woodlands HS) from Grammar 3, move up Alia Hassan (Bellaire HS) (declined).

Drop N. Beydoun (The Woodlands HS) from Reading Comprehension 3, move up Amy Lee (Bellaire HS).

 

Affecting British Int'l Houston:

Drop The Woodlands HS from Traditional Gingerbread House, move up British Int'l Houston (declined).

 

Affecting Cinco Ranch HS:

Drop L. DeVries (The Woodlands HS) from Reading Comprehension 2, move up Areej Jiwa (Cinco Ranch HS).

 

Affecting Clear Lake HS:

Drop K. Altimes (The Woodlands HS) from Photography, move up Christopher Comin (Clear Lake HS).

Drop W. Spark (The Woodlands HS) from Reading Comprehension 1, move up Lily Miller (Clear Lake HS).

Drop W. Spark (The Woodlands HS) from Vocabulary 1, move up Lily Miller (Clear Lake HS).

Drop L. DeVries (The Woodlands HS) from Vocabulary 2, move up Danielle Trinh (Clear Lake HS).

 

Affecting Heights HS:

Drop D. Ojo (The Woodlands HS) from Poetry Memory 4, move up Natalia Posadas (Heights HS).

Drop W. Spark (The Woodlands HS) from Spelling 1, move up Daniel Breed (Heights HS).

 

Affecting Jordan HS:

Drop W. Spark (The Woodlands HS) from Sight Reading 1, move up Halle McAdoo (Jordan HS).

 

Affecting Kingwood HS:

Drop L. DeVries (The Woodlands HS) from Grammar 2, move up Conner Oteri (Kingwood HS).

Drop L. DeVries (The Woodlands HS) from Spelling 2, move up Conner Oteri (Kingwood HS).

Drop S. Davis (The Woodlands HS) from Vocabulary 3, move up Annie Durkee (Kingwood HS).

 

Affecting Klein Oak HS:

Drop N. Beydoun (The Woodlands HS) from Listening Comprehension 3, move up Lily Cuellar (Klein Oak HS).

 

Affecting Tomball Memorial HS:

Drop J. Branham (The Woodlands HS) from Advantaged Speaker Test, move up Heath Luebsen (Tomball Memorial HS).

Drop S. Davis (The Woodlands HS) from Reading Comprehension 3, move up Alia Graeber (Tomball Memorial HS).

Drop L. Podowski (The Woodlands HS) from Vocabulary 3, move up Cole Othersen (Tomball Memorial HS).

 

Affecting Tompkins HS:

Drop The Woodlands HS and British Int'l Houston from Traditional Gingerbread House, move up Tompkins HS.

Drop M. Lotfy (The Woodlands HS) from Sight Reading 3, move up Lucha Buddelmeijer (Tompkins HS).

Drop N. Beydoun (The Woodlands HS) from Vocabulary 3, move up Logan Redman (Tompkins HS).

 

Affecting no one:

Drop J. Branham (The Woodlands HS) from Poetry Memory Advantaged, no one to move up.

Drop The Woodlands HS from Skit 4, no one to move up.

 

Changes made on 2/9/2024:

 

Restore all entries from The Woodlands HS that were dropped yesterday. The problem that was preventing their participation was suddenly solved. But anyone who was offered a move-up above is still entitled to it. We're not retracting the offers. There will just be an extra entry or two in those events at State. The more, the merrier!

 

Affecting Jordan HS (sort of):

Drop A. Halilagic (Bellaire HS) from Sight Reading 1, but Halle McAdoo (Jordan HS) was already moved up due to the above situation with The Woodlands HS, so no further move-up is necessary. This just puts us back at the normal 5 qualifiers in the event.

 

Affecting Kingwood HS:

Drop A. Hassan (Bellaire HS) from Extemporaneous Speaking 3, move up Cade Ellis (Kingwood HS).

Drop A. Halilagic (Bellaire HS) from Prose Memory 1, move up Curran Hatfield (Kingwood HS).

 

Affecting Tompkins HS:

Drop A. Halilagic (Bellaire HS) from Directed Dialogue 1, move up Seif Badr (Tompkins HS).

Drop A. Hassan (Bellaire HS) from Sight Reading 3, but Lucha Buddelmeijer (Tompkins HS) was already moved up due to the above situation with The Woodlands HS, so no further move-up is necessary.

Drop S. Odensky/E. Weiner (Bellaire HS) from Duet Acting Lower, but Linea Martin/Hannah Stokes (Tompkins HS) had already been moved up from 6th place under the provision for filling empty slots left by Sprachfest and Winterfest, so no further move-up is necessary. However, since they now move up "naturally" due to a drop, it means that Martin/Stokes can now receive sweepstakes points and scholarship credit for any place that they earn at State, so remove any * from their names in your State alpha list.

 

Affecting Travis HS:

Drop I. Marblestone (Bellaire HS) from Culture 1, move up Ethan Johnson (Travis HS).

 

Affecting no one:

Drop R. Donath (British Int'l Houston) from Advantaged Speaker Test, no one to move up.

Drop G. Donovan (Bellaire HS) from Prose Memory 4, no one to move up.

 

Changes made on 2/10/2024:

 

Affecting Clear Lake HS (sort of):

Drop K. Jordan (Cinco Ranch HS) from Reading Comprehension 1, but Lily Miller (Clear Lake HS) was already moved up due to the above situation with The Woodlands HS, so no further move-up is necessary. This just puts us back at the normal 5 qualifiers in the event.

Drop K. Jordan (Cinco Ranch HS) from Vocabulary 1, but Lily Miller (Clear Lake HS) was already moved up due to the above situation with The Woodlands HS, so no further move-up is necessary. This just puts us back at the normal 5 qualifiers in the event.

 

Affecting Clements HS:

Drop K. Jordan (Cinco Ranch HS) from Timed Writing 1, move up Meher Rajpal (Clements HS).

 

Affecting Jordan HS:

Drop K. Jordan (Cinco Ranch HS) from Listening Comprehension 1, move up Vlad Klimushin (Jordan HS).

 

Affecting Kingwood HS:

Drop A. Jiwa (Cinco Ranch HS) from Directed Dialogue 2, move up Bella Williams (Kingwood HS).

 

Affecting Tompkins HS:

Drop A. Jiwa (Cinco Ranch HS) from Listening Comprehension 2, move up Andres Flores Nucamendi (Tompkins HS).

 

Affecting no one:

Drop A. Lisboa (Cinco Ranch HS) from Advantaged Speaker Test, no one to move up.

 

Changes made on 2/13/2024:

 

Affecting Klein Oak HS:

Drop T. Wright (Klein Oak HS) from Extemporaneous Speaking Advantaged, move up Aaron Hart (Klein Oak HS).

 

Affecting no one:

Drop T. Wright (Klein Oak HS) from Poetry Memory Advantaged, no one to move up.

 

Change made on 2/15/2024:

 

Affecting Clements HS:

Restore Gopal Susarla (Clements HS) to Grammar 1 (had previously dropped but the conflict was resolved); however, the student who was moved up to replace him retains his spot as well.

 

Change made on 2/19/2024:

 

Affecting Bellaire HS:

Drop A. Hart (Klein Oak HS) from Extemporaneous Speaking Advantaged, move up Philip Mattern (Bellaire HS).

 

Changes made on 2/20/2024:

 

Affecting no one:

Drop Clear Lake HS from Classical Ensemble, no one to move up.

Drop C. Clague (Bellaire HS) from Extemporaneous Speaking Advantaged and Poetry Memory Advantaged, no one to move up.

 

Change made on 2/21/2024:

 

Affecting no one:

Drop Heights HS from Polka Band, no one to move up.

 

Change made on 2/22/2024:

 

Affecting no one:

Drop P. Mattern (Bellaire HS) from Extemporaneous Speaking Advantaged, no one to move up.

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