News and Updates

Houstonfest Scholarships - winners posted!

Scholarships at State

Special Rules and Procedures for the 2021 Remote Contest

Teacher-to-Teacher Tips

Tips for Pair Discussion

Photo Gallery 2014

Arrival at Heights High School

Lunch options

Plays will be performed at Houstonfest

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

Important Dates

Sat., Mar. 6, 2021:  State online awards ceremony posted. Also, Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

Fri., Mar. 12, 2021:  Gail Cope Scholarship applications due.

Fri., April 30, 2021:  Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.

The rest of this will be updated for 2022 some time soon:

Sat., Jan. 16, 2021:  Regular deadline to submit registration spreadsheet in order to pay regular price of $10/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/25).

Mon., Jan. 25, 2021:  Final deadline to submit registration spreadsheet for late price of $12/student and deadline to postmark payment.

Wed., Feb. 3, 2021, 8:00 p.m.:  Deadline to submit changes (adds, drops, substitutions). After this point, no more additions or substitutions will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 6, 2021:  Houstonfest (100% remote): some events conducted "live" (online) that day, all others submitted digitally by 9:00 a.m.

Thur., Feb. 11, 2021:  Houstonfest online awards show emailed to teachers.

Wed., Feb. 17, 2021:  State online registration due by 11:59 p.m. for "early bird" price of $10/student (payment does not have to be mailed yet). Also, deadline to apply for the Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship.

Mon., Feb. 22, 2021:  State online registration due by 11:59 p.m. at regular price of $12/student. Also, entries for promotional video contest due to State director Jennifer Christianson by 8:00 p.m. and deadline to postmark payment.

Sat., Feb. 27, 2021:  Texas State German Contest (100% remote): some events conducted "live" (online) that day, all others submitted digitally by 9:00 a.m.

Rules:  Art Events

Below are the "normal" rules for Houstonfest in a non-pandemic year.  To preserve a record of the normal rules, alterations to the rules for the 2021 remote contest will not be reflected here but rather documented at this link: Special Rules and Procedures for the 2021 Remote Contest.  In a nutshell, however:  ALL art events will be offered in 2021, adapted to the online environment.

General rules for all art events:

• When an event has a spending limit and requires that receipts be provided (Crafts, Doll Costume, Gingerbread House, Needlework, Original Model, Shirt Design), it is acceptable to use items that you already have at home (e.g., flour for your gingerbread house, fabric for your doll costume, etc.), but you MUST include with your receipts a written statement explaining which items you already had on hand along with documentation of the approximate price you would have had to pay for those items had you actually purchased them (e.g., a clipping from a store's weekly sales flyer, a price quote from an online retailer, ebay, Craig's List, etc. -- not a random number that you pulled out of the air).  The value of any such items DOES count toward your spending limit.

• Failure to include receipts for an artwork as required in the rules will result in a 10-point deduction from the cumulative score.

• Failure to include at least the contestant's name and school on an artwork as required in the rules will result in a 10-point deduction from the cumulative score.

• It is strongly recommended that you attach this card to all art entries except videos.  This will help the judges greatly by standardizing the way entries are labeled.  Extra copies of this card will be available at the contest site.

Club Album:

Entry Limit:  1 entry per school (may be an individual or group project).

The album may be dated from the day of the previous year's Regional Contest (usually the first Saturday in February) until the day before the current year's Regional Contest (usually the first Saturday in February).  It should include pictures, articles, artifacts, etc., concerning activities of the German Club.  Size and format is open to the choice of the contestants.  Originality is strongly encouraged.  This should not just be a photo album, but rather a record of the German Club's activities.  Be sure to include the name(s) of contestant(s), the school, and the city in a conspicuous place on or inside the entry.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Crafts:

Entry Limit:  1 entry per school (may be an individual or group project).

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

A craft is the creation of something new and unique.  It should be representative of a style or genre, without being a copy of a specific item; however, it must relate to German culture.  Contestants must build all projects from scratch.  No kits.  The craft must be clearly named, e.g. Dom, Kuckucksuhr, Trachtenhut, etc., and it should include a backdrop or diorama.  Project should include some form of documentation showing the style or genre that the contestant is trying to use, e.g., gothic cathedrals, Black Forest cuckoo clock, Bavarian-style hat, etc.  Possible entries are by no means limited to examples cited within these rules.  Documentation should include appropriate citation of sources.  Photos of the various stages of the creation process would also be helpful to the judges in determining if the project was actually constructed by the contestant(s).  Receipts for expenses must also be included in the documentation.  Each entry should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category "Crafts" on it.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Digital Logo Design:

Doll Costume:

Entry Limit:  2 dolls per school (may be an individual or group project).  Dolls must be submitted by 2 different contestants or groups of contestants.

Doll Size Limits:  12-36" tall; Barbie-doll-size costumes are unacceptable.

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

The costume may be representative of traditions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein but must be a student-made folk costume for a doll.  The doll itself may be hand-made or store bought.  Contestant(s) must include a backdrop which contains information about the costume and the place it represents.  Documentation should include appropriate citation of sources.  Receipts for expenses must also be included in the documentation.  Each entry should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category "Doll Costume" on it.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Gingerbread House:

Entry Limit:  1 house of each style per school (may be an individual or group project):  Non-Traditional, Traditional.

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

Size Limits: 

Length and width of primary structure:  minimum 9" per dimension, maximum 24" per dimension (measurements from wall to wall with a ½" variance).

Height:  maximum 24".

Length and width of base:  maximum 36" per dimension.

There are two categories in which each school may enter:  traditional houses (like the Hänsel and Gretel house) and non-traditional houses (such as tree houses, shoe houses, castles, churches, etc.).  Contestant(s) must build all houses from scratch.  No kits. Use any recipe.  The entire entry must be edible, except for the base.  The primary house or structure must have a roof on it.  Photos of the actual building of the house would be helpful to the judges in determining if the house was actually built by the contestant(s). Receipts for expenses must also be included in the documentation.  Each house should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category of house (traditional or non-traditional) on it.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Needlework:

Entry Limit:  2 entries per school (may be an individual or a group project, but if 2 entries are submitted, they must be by 2 different contestants or groups of contestants).

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

Only hooked rugs, embroidery, needlepoint, cross-stitch, or quilting are allowed.  Entries must be related to a German theme, such as state or national symbols of German-speaking areas, landscapes, folk traditions, fairy tales, proverbs, etc.   Needlework should include some brief form of documentation either depicting an image that was replicated and/or the German relevance.  Documentation should include appropriate citation of sources.  Receipts for expenses must also be included in the documentation.  Each entry should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category "Needlework" on it. 

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Original Models:

Entry Limit:  1 model per school (may be an individual or group project).

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

An original model is a re-creation of a specific object that exists or existed in a German-speaking country or is/was a German-Texan structure.  Contestants must build all projects from scratch.  No kits.  The model must be clearly named, e.g. Kölner Dom, Brandenburger Tor, Bavarian Battle Helmet, etc., and it should include a backdrop or diorama.  Project should include some form of documentation as to how the original structure/object looked, from various angles if possible.  Documentation should include appropriate citation of sources.  Photos of the various stages of construction would also be helpful to the judges in determining if the project was actually constructed by the contestant(s).  Receipts for expenses must also be included in the documentation.  Each entry should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category "Original Model" on it.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Photo Essay:

Entry Limit:  1 entry per school (may be an individual or a group project; no advantaged speakers may enter or help with the production of the narrative story).

Size Limit:  1 piece of 22" × 28" poster board, no larger and no smaller.

Photo Limits:  10-20 photos.

Photos must be originals taken by the contestant(s).  Photos may be either black-and-white or color, or a combination of both.  Any size photo is acceptable.  Photos must be mounted on on the poster board.  The photos may concern any subject, but they must be accompanied by a narrative story in German.  The story should be written on the poster board next to or under each of the pictures.  The name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city must be on the back of the poster. 

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Because volunteers will hang the photo essays on a wall using sticky tack so that the judges can view them more easily and naturally, you should attach the card so that it hangs down from the bottom edge of the poster rather than pasting/taping it to the back of the poster.

Photography:

Entry Limit:  2 entries per school (Entries consist of a single student's work - NO group entries.  Photos must be submitted by two different contestants.)

Size Limits:  5" × 7" minimum.

Entries consist of 1 photograph, which may include 1 image or multiple images.  Image(s) must be original and taken by the contestant.  Images taken from the Internet or any other source are unacceptable.  Image(s) may be either black-and-white or color, or a combination of both.  The photo must be matted and/or framed.  The photo must have a German theme, which may be candid or staged.  The name of the contestant, the school, and the city must be on the back of the matte/frame.  For all images used, additional documentation must include  4" × 6" original, unaltered photo(s) indicating when and where taken. 

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Poster:

Entry Limit:  1 entry per school (may be an individual or group project).

Size Limit:  1 piece of 22" × 28" poster board, no larger and no smaller.

The poster may be about any German-related topic.  There must be at least 10 different German words on the poster, or at least 10 words forming a complete German sentence or phrase.  Posters must be made by hand-drawing and/or with hand-made extras.  No computer-made posters will be accepted.  The name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city must be on the back of the poster.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Because volunteers will hang the posters on a wall using sticky tack so that the judges can view them more easily and naturally, you should attach the card so that it hangs down from the bottom edge of the poster rather than pasting/taping it to the back of the poster.

Shirt Design:

Entry Limit:  1 entry per school (may be an individual or group project).

Spending Limit:  $45 maximum  (Along with receipts for purchases made specifically for the project, items used from home must also be listed, assigned a monetary value, and included in the $45 total.)

No German Club shirts.  The design of the shirt should be German-related.  All words must be in German, with a minimum of 5 different words - no maximum.  Design must be artistically hand-designed, i.e., no store bought decals, AND the design must be hand-applied by the contestant(s), regardless of technique used, e.g., silk-screened, copied, or painted.  Photos of the design and application process would be helpful to the judges.  For the design to be eligible, it must be on a T-shirt or sweatshirt.  Receipts for the shirt and the supplies must be provided with the entry.  Each shirt should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city attached to it.

Download critique sheet.  Download card for labeling entry.

Video:

Entry Limit:  1 video per school; at least 6 contestants must be included in the video.

Time Limits:  6-15 minutes.

Video may be an original screenplay or a documentary and may not include animation. This may not be a video of your play, skit, puppet show, or duet pieces.  The video must be uploaded according to directions on the website.  All dialogue must be in German.  Three copies of the script and a USB drive containing the video should be submitted in a 9×12 envelope to the designated room by 9:00 a.m. on the day of contest.  The envelope must be clearly marked with the title of the video, the name of the school, the city, and the teacher's name.  One student from the group must be present at the designated time of judging to assist with any technical difficulties the judges may be having.  Judging includes originality, German dialogue, and the professional quality of the video presentation. Creativity is encouraged.

Download critique sheet.