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, 2024: Gail 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.

Changes and Updates for 2024

The following changes flow primarily from the State steering committee meeting held on May 20, 2023:

• There are very few changes for this year - no new events, no discontinued events, no price increases!

• The contests will be on the usual dates at the usual places: Houstonfest on Saturday, February 3, Heights High School and State on Saturday, February 24, Texas State University in San Marcos.

• The only rule change is that in Timed Writing, you may now enter 2 students per level (increased from 1 per level).

• The judging criteria (not the rules) were edited in Digital Logo Design, Directed Dialogue, Duet Acting (very minor), Photography (very minor), Poetry Memory, Poetry Reading (very minor), Prose Memory, Prose Reading (very minor), and Sight Reading. The purpose of most of these edits was simply to standardize all judged events (except Folk Dance and Einzeltanz) as having 5 judging criteria worth 20 points each.

• This year's Einzeltanz is the Markländer Schottische (first used in 2019). The dance notes, the music, and a video are posted here. Note that as of 11/26/2023, the dance notes have been updated to a new version.

• The special topic for Pass auf! this year is UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Intangible Heritage Elements in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Here are two links to get you started: World Heritage Sites, Intangible Heritage Elements. Note: you may also see information on the UNESCO website about Biosphere Preserves and Global Geoparks, but those two UNESCO lists are NOT included in the special topic.

• The Mary El-Beheri Scholarship at the State level will be increased to $1000 (from previously $500) and the selection process will take into account more criteria than just sweepstakes points, although sweepstakes points earned over the years will still be a major factor. The new rules and application are posted on the State website.

• The Gail Cope Teacher Grants (awarded statewide to help schools purchase items for contest preparation) will now be awarded on a rolling basis throughout the school year. There is no longer a particular application window or deadline. However, grants will still be limited to a maximum of $500 per school year for any particular school.

• The Houston Saengerbund will continue to provide funds to underwrite our scholarship program ($2000) and the transportation grants that were introduced last year ($300 per school for the first six schools to apply, $1800 total). The Google Form application to apply for a transportation grant will open on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. A link to the form will be sent to teachers in the first week of January. This year, the documentation process for claiming the grant will be easier: simply take a picture of your group in front of the bus that you take to Houstonfest or State and provide the picture to the Saengerbund. Director Rustin Buck will also confirm to the Saengerbund that the schools who received a grant indeed attended the contest.

• At the State level, the promotional video contest with its $250 prize will be continued after 4 videos were entered last year. It had been in danger of being discontinued due to lack of participation in previous years, but we need to see continued participation. Get started early working on your video for this year!

• The seven virtual events worked well last year and will continue with no changes this year. Submissions will be due one week before the date of contest (for Houstonfest, that will be on Saturday, January 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m.).

• I'm not sure this message got out sufficiently last year, so I'll include it again this year: We now allow exchange students from German-speaking countries to compete in some events that are primarily cultural in nature (rather than language-based). Alternatively, or perhaps in addition, they are still welcome to serve as judges (inform director Rustin Buck of their desire to judge and have them fill out the judging interest Google Form).

• Remember to use these email addresses for Houstonfest director Rustin Buck (houstonfest@texasstategermancontest.org) and State director Jennifer Christianson (director@texasstategermancontest.org).

• We will continue to use online Google Sheets to register for Houstonfest, as we have done the last two 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. 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. 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, January 31, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. After that point, your editing access will be changed to "view only" and your registration will be finalized.