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News and Updates

 

NEW: Changes and updates for 2025

 

Arrival at Kingwood High School

 

Lunch options
 

Teacher-to-teacher tips

 

Tips for Pair Discussion

 

Houstonfest Scholarships

 

Scholarships at State

 

NEW: Houstonfest history

 

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!)

 

State promo video contest

 

Photo gallery

 

Daily log of changes to State-qualifier list

 

Important Dates

 

on a rolling basis but no later than Wed., Apr. 30, 2025 for payment during the 2024-2025 school year: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

 

Mon. Jan. 13, 2025, 4:00 p.m.:  Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens (IF THEY ARE OFFERED AT ALL; if so, teachers will be sent a link to a Google Form).

 

Tue., Jan. 21, 2025, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/27).

 

Mon., Jan. 27, 2025, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

 

Sat., Feb. 1, 2025, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

 

Tue., Feb. 4, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

 

Wed., Feb. 5, 2025, 10:00 p.m.Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

 

Sat., Feb. 8, 2025 Houstonfest, Kingwood High School, Houston.

 

Fri., Feb. 14, 2025, 11:59 p.m.State online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/19).

 

Wed., Feb. 19, 2025, 11:59 p.m.State online registration due for regular price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark your State payment.

 

Sat., Feb. 22, 2025, 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).

 

Mon., Feb. 24, 2025, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director.

 

Tue., Feb. 25, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

 

Sat., Mar. 1, 2025 Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

 

Sat., Mar. 8, 2025, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

 

Sun., Mar. 16, 2025Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

 

 

Schedule

 

New: In 2025, we will start the competition 30 minutes later than in the past (at 9:00 instead of 8:30). This will shift the timing of the rest of the day a bit later as well, although as always we'll attempt to finish the awards ceremony as soon as possible to allow everyone to head home.

 

Printer-friendly schedule - Word

Printer-friendly schedule - PDF

(fits on one page front-and-back; will be posted a few days before contest)

 

Arrival instructions

 

Map of the Kingwood campus (will be posted a few days before contest)

 

Judging assignments - PDF

 

Instructions for judges of virtual events

 

Instructions for judges of in-person events

(other than Pass auf! and proctors of written tests)

 

General Schedule 2025
7:30-8:00 a.m.

Judges who are not teachers check in and pick up judging packets just inside the entrance and then proceed to Room 2310 to wait for the judge orientation meeting to begin while enjoying a complimentary breakfast of donuts, kolaches, fruit, coffee, juice, soda, and water.

7:45-8:15 a.m. Teachers check in and pick up judging packets just inside the entrance and then proceed to Room 2310 for breakfast and the judge meeting.
8:15-8:45 a.m. Important judges' meeting in Room 2310.

8:00-9:00 a.m.

Students should set up their art entries in the designated rooms and sign up for times to compete in these events:  classical ensemble, contemporary music, directed dialogue, duet acting, extemporaneous speaking, pair discussion, poetry memory, polka band, prose memory, scavenger hunt, sight reading, and vocal solo. The sign-up lists will be posted next to the doors of the rooms.
9:00 a.m. Competition begins. The first of two sessions for Timed Writing begins. Judging of art events begins. Once you have set up your art entries in the proper rooms, please leave the art area. The art rooms are off-limits to everyone but the judges as long as judging is taking place.
9:30 a.m. Training for written-test proctors begins in Room 4206. The second of two sessions for Timed Writing begins.
10:00-11:30 a.m. Advantaged Speaker Test: All contestants MUST arrive by 10:00; this is the only opportunity of the day to take the test, and there is no late admission.
10:00 a.m. -

2:30 p.m.

Written testing: 9 sessions beginning at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00. You do NOT have to sign up for a time.

12:00 noon

Most contests end. Varsity Pass auf! ends at x:xx. Written tests end at 2:30. The three art rooms (2208, 2209, 2210) are open to all for browsing (look but don't touch!!!) from the time that the last judges finish judging through 2:00.
  Lunch at our on-campus vendors.
1:00-1:30 p.m. Meet-and-greet with German professors from the University of Houston in Room 2106. Drop by and find out what the UH German program has to offer!
1:30-2:00 p.m. First opportunity to retrieve art entries (not earlier, not later). The doors to the art rooms will be locked from 2:00 until the end of the awards ceremony. Gather in the auditorium.
2:00 p.m. Entertainment by the band Das ist lustig and folk dancers in the auditorium.
~4:00 p.m. Announcement of awards in the auditorium.
~5:00 p.m. Second opportunity to retrieve art entries: Immediately after the awards ceremony, the doors to the art rooms will be unlocked to allow students to retrieve their art entries as they depart.

 

Judging Assignments
Event Room Judges
virtual: Digital Logo Design online  
virtual: Oral Presentation 4 online  
virtual: Oral Presentation Advant. online  
virtual: Photo Essay online  
virtual: Poetry Reading 1 online  
virtual: Poetry Reading 2 online  
virtual: Poetry Reading 3 online  
virtual: Poetry Reading 4 online  
virtual: Prose Reading 1 online  
virtual: Prose Reading 2 online  
virtual: Prose Reading 3 online  
virtual: Prose Reading 4 online  
virtual: Research Paper online  
virtual: Video Show online  
virtual: alternate judges online  
Advantaged Speaker Test 4109  
Classical Ensemble, Polka Band 4113  
Club Album 2208  
Contemporary Music 4416  
Crafts 2210  
Culture 4302  
Directed Dialogue 1 2113  
Directed Dialogue 2 2112  
Doll Costume 2210  
Duet Acting Lower 2305  
Duet Acting Upper 2304  
Extemp. Speaking facilitator 2104  
Extemp. Speaking 3, Advant. 2105  
Extemp. Speaking 4 2103  
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz),

Folk Dance (Team)

4310  
Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.) 2210  
Gingerbread House (Traditional) 2210  
Grammar 4303  
Listening Comprehension 4206  
Needlework 2210  
Original Models 2210  
Pair Discussion 2111  
Pass auf! (Novice) 2408  
Pass auf! (Varsity) 2407  
Photography 2209  
Poetry Memory 1, 2 2204  
Poetry Memory 3, 4 2205  
Poetry Memory Advantaged,

Prose Memory Advantaged

2203  
Poster Design 2209  
Prose Memory 1, 2 2207  
Prose Memory 3, 4 2307  
Puppet Show Lower, Upper 2306  
Reading Comprehension 4304  
Scavenger Hunt 2409  
Shirt Design 2208  
Sight Reading 1 2109  
Sight Reading 2 2110  
Sight Reading 3 2108  
Sight Reading 4 2107  
Skit 1, 2 4210  
Skit 3, 4 2206  
Spelling 4207  
Timed Writing 4205  
Vocabulary 4305  
Vocal Solo 4413  
Reserve Judge Corps

 

 
Director (Tabulation: Library) Rustin Buck
Host David Kniess
Assistant to Director Henry Innes (KHS)
Written testing supervisor (Scantron: Library) Beverly Randall
Written testing assistants  
Breakfast, refreshment cart, proctor/tab lunch  
Judge check-in, data entry  
Tabulation room (intake and bagging)  
Awards ceremony assistants Henry Innes (KHS), Kingwood students, adult folk dancers

 

Room Finder

(This list is a bit more user-friendly than the list above if you are looking for a room number.)

Advantaged Speaker Test 4109   Poetry Memory 4 2205
Classical Ensemble 4113 Poetry Memory Advant. 2203
Club Album 2208 Polka Band 4113
Contemporary Music 4416 Poster Design 2209
Crafts 2210 Prose Memory 1 2207
Culture 4302 Prose Memory 2 2207
Directed Dialogue 1 2113 Prose Memory 3 2307
Directed Dialogue 2 2112 Prose Memory 4 2307
Doll Costume 2210 Prose Memory Advant. 2203
Duet Acting Lower 2305 Puppet Show Lower 2306
Duet Acting Upper 2304 Puppet Show Upper 2306
Ext. Speaking - get topic 2104 Reading Comprehension 4304
Ext. Speaking 3 - judging 2105 Scantron Room Library (upstairs)
Ext. Speaking 4 - judging 2103 Scavenger Hunt 2409
Ext. Speaking Adv. - judging 2105 Shirt Design 2208
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz)

Folk Dance (Team)

4310 Sight Reading 1 2109
Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.) 2210 Sight Reading 2 2110
Gingerbread House (Trad.) 2210 Sight Reading 3 2108
Grammar 4303 Sight Reading 4 2107
Listening Comprehension 4206 Skit 1 4210
Needlework 2210 Skit 2 4210
Original Models 2210 Skit 3 2206
Pair Discussion 2111 Skit 4 2206
Pass auf! (Novice) 2408 Spelling 4207
Pass auf! (Varsity) 2407 Tabulation Room Library (upstairs)
Photography 2209 Timed Writing 4205
Poetry Memory 1 2204 UH professors 1:00-1:30 2106
Poetry Memory 2 2204 Vocabulary 4305
Poetry Memory 3 2205 Vocal Solo 4413
Advantaged Speaker Test Schedule only at 10:00 (lasting until 11:30)
Listening Comprehension Schedule Lower Level (1 & 2):  10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30

Upper Level (3 & 4):  10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00

Spelling Schedule Lower Level (1 & 2):  10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00

Upper Level (3 & 4):  10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30

Timed Writing Schedule Levels 1 & 2:  only at 9:00 and 9:30
Culture, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary all levels of each test given at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00

 

Group Schedule

Lower Puppets, Rm. 2306 Skit 1, Rm. 4210 Skit 4, Rm. 2206
           
           
           
           
           
Upper Puppets, Rm. 2306        
    Skit 2, Rm. 4210    
        Einzeltanz, Rm. 4310
           
           
           
           
    Skit 3, Rm. 2206    
Note: Students will choose their own times for the other group events: classical ensemble, contemporary music, duet acting, pair discussion, polka band, and scavenger hunt.     Team Folk Dance, Rm. 4310
       
       
       

Novice Pass auf! schedule

Varsity Pass auf! schedule

   
   

Note:

Students in all drama events and folk dance MUST do everything possible to adhere to the scheduled performance times. They should, in fact, arrive 10 minutes BEFORE their scheduled time to get all props, etc. ready, so that when the previous group finishes, they can march right in and get on with the show. The students should structure the entire rest of their day around their scheduled drama times.

 

If a cast member is involved in a Pass auf! game when the drama event is scheduled to start, they should leave the Pass auf! game and go to the drama event. Pass auf! teams can continue to compete with fewer than five members if necessary.

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