News and Updates

Changes and updates for 2023 - important!

Houstonfest Scholarships

Scholarships at State

State Promo Video Contest

Arrival at Heights High School

Lunch options

Contest Promo Video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

Contest Promo Video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

Teacher-to-Teacher Tips

"Texas State German Contest at 40" newsletter series (full of tips for contest prep and Pass auf! study material)

Tips for Pair Discussion

Photo Gallery

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

Important Dates

Tue., Jan. 17, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/23).

Mon., Jan. 23, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Sat., Jan. 28, 2023, 9:00 a.m.:  Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

Tue., Jan. 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 1, 2023, 9:00 p.m.:  Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 4, 2023:  Houstonfest, Heights High School, Houston

Fri., Feb. 10, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/15).

Wed., Feb. 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for regular price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark State payment.

Sat., Feb. 18, 2023, 9:00 a.m.:  Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher). Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship applications due.

Mon., Feb. 20, 2023, 8:00 p.m.:  Entries in promotional video contest due to State director.

Tue., Feb. 21, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

Sat., Feb. 25, 2023:  Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos

Sat., Mar. 4, 2023, 11:59 p.m.:  Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

Sun., Mar. 12, 2023:  Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

Sun., April 30, 2023:  Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.

Houstonfest Registration

February 4, 2023

Registration for 2023 is now open.

• New procedure starting in 2023:  Instead of using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets sent in by email, we will now use online Google Sheets to register for Houstonfest. 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. You may request the link at any time (even as early as November or December) 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.

• As you complete the Google Sheet, PLEASE USE Lastname, Firstname FORMAT FOR ENTERING STUDENT NAMES.

• When you deem your Google registration form substantially complete, email Rustin Buck to let him know. However, you may continue making updates (drops, adds, changes) in the Google Sheet on a rolling basis up to Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 9:00 p.m. After that point, your editing access will be changed to "view only" and your registration will be finalized.

• The only thing you need to send by regular mail is your payment check. You may wish to enclose a print-out of the first page of the registration form, but there is no need to enclose all the pages.

• Send the regular fee of $12 (new amount) per student if your registration form is completed by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. (But your payment check doesn't have to be in the mail by then -- see two bullets down.)

• Send the late fee of $15 (new amount) per student if your registration form is completed during the period from Wednesday, January 18, to Monday, January 23, 2023. Late registration will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 23, 2023.

• Regardless of whether you complete your online registration by the regular or the late deadline, your payment check should be postmarked by Monday, January 23, 2023.

• 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). (Technically, 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 from each school must be scanned or otherwise consolidated into ONE PDF document and submitted before the date of the regional contest using this Google Form. The initial submission will also be good for the State contest (no need to resubmit for State).

• If you need an invoice, email director Rustin Buck to request one.

• Make your check payable to "Houstonfest" or "Texas State German Contests, Inc. dba Houstonfest," depending on how your school district has us set up in its vendor system. For a personal check, "Houstonfest" is sufficient.

• Mail payment to:

Houstonfest

2507 Slippery Rock Dr.

Sugar Land, TX  77498-1909

• Incentives for new schools to participate:  We will waive the registration fee for up to 5 students from any school that has not attended Houstonfest in the last 5 years, and these schools will pay the regular price of $12 for any students beyond the first 5, even if they enter during the "late" registration period. Teachers who are brand new to Houstonfest may also request to be excused from judging for the first year so that they can move freely around the contest and see how things work. Contact director Rustin Buck to take advantage of these offers; the registration spreadsheet is not set up to reflect them.

• No registration fees will be refunded for any reason.