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.

Advantaged Speakers

"Advantaged speakers" are students who meet one or more of the following criteria:

• They have lived in a German-speaking country six weeks or more at one time since the age of 6.

• They reside with a native speaker of German who regularly speaks German at home.

• They speak German at home.

• They regularly (annually or biennially) visit or have visited a German-speaking country, visiting German-speaking homes.

• They have attended a school where the majority of subjects were taught in German for one or more years.

It is left to the professional judgment of the teacher to determine the eligibility of students. Questions of eligibility should be addressed to the contest director prior to the contest registration deadline. If a student is designated advantaged in one event, they must be entered as advantaged in all events.

Advantaged speakers may compete ONLY in the following events:

• Advantaged speaker test

• Extemporaneous speaking, advantaged category

• Oral Presentation (virtual event), advantaged category

• Poetry memory, advantaged category

• Prose memory, advantaged category

• Puppet show, upper level (inform judges as to which actors are advantaged)

• Skit, level 4 (inform judges as to which actors are advantaged)

• Most cultural events:  classical ensemble, club album, contemporary music (as instrumentalists only, not as vocalists), crafts, digital logo design, doll costume, Einzeltanz, folk dance, gingerbread house, needlework, original model, photography, polka band, poster design, research paper, shirt design, video show.  Advantaged speakers may NOT compete in photo essay or vocal solo.

Just to be perfectly clear, advantaged speakers are NOT allowed to enter the following events: contemporary music as vocalists (but OK as instrumentalists), culture, directed dialogue, duet acting, grammar, listening comprehension, Pass auf!, pair discussion, photo essay, poetry reading, prose reading, puppet show (lower level), reading comprehension, scavenger hunt, sight reading, skit (levels 1-3), spelling, timed writing, vocabulary, and vocal solo.

Exchange students from German-speaking countries may not enter any "advantaged speaker" events. However, they may participate in the following events that are primarily cultural in nature:  classical ensemble, club album, crafts, digital logo design, Einzeltanz, folk dance, gingerbread house, needlework, original model, photography, polka band, and video show (non-speaking role or off-camera function only). Alternatively (or perhaps in addition), they are welcome to help out as judges.

Exchange students from non-German-speaking countries may enter events for which they qualify (regular or advantaged, depending on their circumstances), just like their German-language learning peers.