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News and Updates

 

Changes and updates for 2024 (new!)

 

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)

 

Houstonfest Scholarships

 

Scholarships at State

 

State Promo Video Contest

 

Tips for Pair Discussion

 

Arrival at Heights High School

 

Lunch options
 

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

 

Photo Gallery

 

Important Dates

 

Tue., Jan. 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m.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).

 

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

 

Wed., Jan. 31, 2024, 9:00 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 State payment.

 

Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, 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. 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.:  Entries in 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, 2024 Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

 

Tue., April 30, 2024 Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.

Schedule

 

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 Heights 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 written-test proctors)

 

General Schedule 2023
7:15-7:30 a.m.

Judges who are not teachers check in and pick up judging packets in the Teaching Theater. Complimentary donuts, kolaches, fruit, coffee, juice, soda, and water will be served.

7:30-8:00 a.m. Teachers check in and pick up judging packets in the Teaching Theater.
8:05-8:20 a.m. Brief but important judges' meeting in the Teaching Theater.
7:30 -

8:30 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.
8:30 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 in the proper room, please leave the art area. The art rooms are off-limits to everyone but the judges except when you are setting up or taking down your entry. When judges are not present, the art rooms will be locked, except from 1:00 to 1:30 to allow everyone to retrieve their entries and again briefly after the awards ceremony.
9:00 a.m. Training for written-test proctors begins in Room M326. The second of two sessions for Timed Writing begins.
9:30-11:00 a.m. Advantaged Speaker Test: All contestants MUST arrive by 9:30; this is the only opportunity of the day to take the test, and there is no late admission.
9:30 a.m. -

2:00 p.m.

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

12:00 noon

Most contests end. Varsity Pass auf! ends at 1:00. Written tests end at 2:00.
  Lunch at our on-campus vendors.
1:00-1:30 p.m. Retrieve art entries (not earlier, not later; doors to the art rooms will be locked at all other times except 1:00-1:30 and again briefly after the awards ceremony). Gather in the auditorium.
1:30 p.m. Entertainment by the band Das ist lustig.
~3:30 p.m. Announcement of awards in the auditorium.
~4:30 p.m. 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 Charlotte Rissky, Timothy Swenson, Denise Tanner
virtual: Oral Presentation 4 online Ashley Clewis, Heidi Keschenat, Nadja Springer
virtual: Oral Presentation Advant. online Sylvia Ehret, Manuela Sieber, Alexandra Wirth
virtual: Photo Essay online Barbara Lott, Friedhelm Luening, Alexia Uhlendorf
virtual: Poetry Reading 1 online Taleed Atieh, Miranda James, Sarai Macedo
virtual: Poetry Reading 2 online Elke Crow, Manuela Hammer, Martina Luke-Dorn
virtual: Poetry Reading 3 online Diana Bangert, Laura Braun, Alex Loddoch
virtual: Poetry Reading 4 online Julia Castillo, Sylvia Ehret, Kurt Strack
virtual: Prose Reading 1 online David Brenner, Tara McMartin, Rachel Newman
virtual: Prose Reading 2 online Katharina Kley, Miriam Lacayo, Braden Muscarello
virtual: Prose Reading 3 online Stephanie Harris, Denise Tanner
virtual: Prose Reading 4 online Pauline Fritze, Barbara Homann, James Howell
virtual: Research Paper online Jana Enderlein, Lars Grabow, Zola Lopeman
virtual: Video Show online Christiane Galvani, Kim Mickelson, Maike Nawroth
Advantaged Speaker Test M229 Michael Miller
Classical Ensemble, Polka Band M130 Robert Herridge, Valina Witte
Club Album A238 Sylvia Ehret, Jennifer Martin
Contemporary Music MB 07 Leslie Friedrich, Bobby Gervais
Crafts A255 Kimberly McKean, Morgann Swenson, Tim Trunk
Culture M315 Adrian Babaev, George Rissky
Directed Dialogue 1 M211 Heidi Hoth, Michael Rossow
Directed Dialogue 2 M213 Elmy Biermanns, Juergen Mueller
Doll Costume A253 Tamara Seely, Manuela Sieber
Duet Acting Lower M214 Judy Herman, Miranda James
Duet Acting Upper M216 Brenda Bauske, Kurt Bauske
Extemp. Speaking facilitator M144 Michelle Durkee, Heights parent
Extemp. Speaking 3 M142 Fynn Dreier, Stanley Stifflemire
Extemp. Speaking 4, Advant. M306 Hildegard Glass, Markus Hatzelmann
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz),

Folk Dance (Team)

G216 Piper Brown, Zach Brown, Jacob Desporte,

Kaity Nelson

Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.) A231 Sylvia Ehret, Linda Gabrielson
Gingerbread House (Traditional) A201 Linda Jarvis, Laura Matre
Grammar M316 Connie Galloway, Shaane Zehra
Listening Comprehension M310 Aster Dyer, Bryan Galloway
Needlework A238 Siobhan Madden, Bianca Reich
Original Models A212 Bernard Gordon, Sarai Macedo
Pair Discussion M215 Astrid Krenn (subbing for Victoria Henecka), Fred P. Reinhard
Pass auf! (Novice) M345 Brandon Collins, Sarah Murray
Pass auf! (Varsity) M346 Lauren Davis, Sarah Smith
Photography A236 Margaret Molloy, Timothy Swenson
Poetry Memory 1, 2 M317 Arthur Dittrich, Karen Schmidt
Poetry Memory 3, 4 M321 Karen Frye, Sebastian Gobel
Poetry Memory Advantaged, Prose Memory Advantaged M323 Kathrin Correll, Eric Linnes
Poster Design A236 Isabell Brescia Berblinger, Svenja Karad
Prose Memory 1, 2 M325 Julia Burke, Bryan Due
Prose Memory 3, 4 M327 Charles Bearden, Alexandra Wirth
Puppet Show Lower, Upper M247 Barbara Homann, Sylvia Longoria
Reading Comprehension M320 Elaine Dovzak, Larissa Lorenz
Scavenger Hunt Teaching Theater Seth Hulse, Selina Struck
Shirt Design A212 Linda Gabrielson, Hans-Martin Maurer
Sight Reading 1 A210 Irene Reinhard, Günter Sundag
Sight Reading 2 A213 Heinz Schmidt, Christina Tower
Sight Reading 3 A215 Christiane Galvani, Friedhelm Luening
Sight Reading 4 A217 Luisa Boettner, Tabea Münchrath
Skit 1, 4 M246 Elke Crow, Lisa Parrott
Skit 2, 3 M244 Burhanuddin Calcuttawala, Hannah Henry
Spelling M324 Hannah Klinger, Falk Langbein
Timed Writing M314 Jana Enderlein, Lars Grabow
Vocabulary M326 Steffi Sladek, Markus Wimmer
Vocal Solo A233 Dustin Brown, Andreas Peschke, Alison Wimmer
Reserve Judge Corps Elisabet Gonzalez (sick), Andreas Peschke (assigned as third judge to Vocal Solo), Philine Peters (not assigned), Tim Trunk (assigned as third judge to Crafts), Adrian Babaev (from Cult) (not reassigned), Sandy Harvey for certain non-language-based arts (not assigned), Selina Struck (from ScavH) (not reassigned), any second proctors if they're there early enough (one proctor COULD handle a test alone if necessary)
 
Director (Tabulation: Teacher Lounge) Rustin Buck
Host Mark Johnson
Assistant to Director and Host Henry Innes (KHS)
Written testing supervisor (Scantron: M330) David Kniess
Written testing assistants Beverly Randall, Amelia Spears (KHS)
Breakfast, refreshment cart, proctor/tab lunch Lisa Ganguly, Christian Brown (KHS), Valeria Ignatyev (KHS)
Judge check-in, data entry Sandy Harvey, Yvonne Thomas
Tabulation room (intake and bagging) Sarah Murray (after Novice Pass auf),

three Heights parent volunteers

Awards ceremony assistants Henry Innes (KHS), other KHS students

 

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 M229   Poetry Memory 3 M321
Classical Ensemble M130 Poetry Memory 4 M321
Club Album A238 Poetry Memory Advant. M323
Contemporary Music MB 07 (Basement of M bldg.) Polka Band M130
Crafts A255 Poster Design A236
Culture M315 Prose Memory 1 M325
Directed Dialogue 1 M211 Prose Memory 2 M325
Directed Dialogue 2 M213 Prose Memory 3 M327
Doll Costume A253 Prose Memory 4 M327
Duet Acting Lower M214 Prose Memory Advant. M323
Duet Acting Upper M216 Puppet Show Lower M247
Ext. Speaking - get topic M144 Puppet Show Upper M247
Ext. Speaking 3 - judging M142 Reading Comprehension M320
Ext. Speaking 4 - judging M306 Scantron Room M330
Ext. Speaking Adv. - judging M306 Scavenger Hunt Teaching Theater
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz) G216 Shirt Design A212
Folk Dance (Team) G216 Sight Reading 1 A210
Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.) A231 Sight Reading 2 A213
Gingerbread House (Trad.) A201 Sight Reading 3 A215
Grammar M316 Sight Reading 4 A217
Listening Comprehension M310 Skit 1 M246
Needlework A238 Skit 2 M244
Original Models A212 Skit 3 M244
Pair Discussion M215 Skit 4 M236
Pass auf! (Novice) M345 Spelling M324
Pass auf! (Varsity) M346 Tabulation Room Lounge (1st Floor)
Photography A236 Timed Writing M314
Poetry Memory 1 M317 Vocabulary M326
Poetry Memory 2 M317 Vocal Solo A233
Advantaged Speaker Test Schedule only at 9:30 (lasting until 11:00)
Listening Comprehension Schedule Lower Level (1 & 2):  9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30

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

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

Upper Level (3 & 4):  9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30

Timed Writing Schedule Levels 1 & 2:  only at 8:30 and 9:00
Culture, Grammar, Listening Comp., Reading Comp. all levels of each test given at 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30

 

Group Schedule

Lower Puppets, Rm. M247 Skit 1, Rm. M246 Skit 4, Rm. M246
8:40 Heights 11:00 Jordan 8:40 Tompkins
9:00 Kingwood 11:15 Tompkins 9:00 Jordan
9:20 Jordan 11:30 Kingwood 9:25 Heights
9:40 Travis     9:45 Bellaire
    Skit 2, Rm. M244 10:10 Kingwood
Upper Puppets, Rm. M247 10:15 Kingwood 10:30 Klein Oak
10:20 Clements 10:30 Taylor    
10:40 Travis 10:50 Tompkins Einzeltanz, Rm. G216
11:00 Jordan 11:05 Jordan 8:40 Tompkins
11:20 Kingwood 11:20 Heights 8:50 Jordan
        9:00 Brazoswood
    Skit 3, Rm. M244 9:10 Kingwood
    8:40 Bellaire 9:20 Tomball Memorial
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. 9:00 Tompkins    
9:25 Kingwood Team Folk Dance, Rm. G216
9:45 Jordan 9:45 Tompkins
    10:15 Brazoswood

Novice Pass auf! schedule

Varsity Pass auf! schedule

10:45 Kingwood
11:15 Klein Oak

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, he/she needs to 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 3, 2024

 

Where is Houstonfest?

 

Heights High School

413 E. 13th Street, Houston, TX 77008

 

Link to Texas State German Contest

 

Texas State German Contest on Facebook

 

Texas State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group