News and Updates
Special Rules and Procedures for the 2021 Remote Contest
Houstonfest Scholarships
Scholarships at State
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., 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.
Mon., Feb. 1, 2021: Proof sheet of entries sent to teachers for final
verification and changes.
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.
Sat., Feb. 13, 2021:
Houstonfest online awards ceremony, time TBA.
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
and to submit entries for
promotional video contest
to State director Jennifer Christianson.
Mon., Feb. 22, 2021: State online registration due by 11:59 p.m. at
regular price of
$12/student.
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.
Sat., Mar. 6, 2021:
State online awards ceremony, time TBA. Also,
Houstonfest Scholarship
applications due.
Fri., Mar. 12, 2021:
Gail Cope
Scholarship applications due.
Fri., April 30, 2021:
Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.
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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:
Entry Limit:
1 entry per school (may be an individual or group project)
Size Limits and Formats:
1-2 megabytes; 2400 x 2000 px; .jpg, .gif, or .pdf
Note: The 1st-place
logo from Houstonfest [and likewise the 1st-place logo from
State] will be used for any print or digital material, including the
website, for the following year. [State qualifiers are encouraged to
adapt/change their regional design to reflect the State contest.]
The logo must be
German-related and some element of the design must relate to German contest.
The logo may be animated or still. All images within the design must be
original artwork and/or photos designed by or taken by the contestant(s).
Images taken from the Internet or any other source are unacceptable.
Contestant(s) may use pictures they have taken from prior contest years;
however, no student faces may be visible. Any words, except for the contest
name, must be in German. Logos must be submitted on a standard USB drive
(labeled with contestant name) and put in a 4"×7" padded envelope. Nothing
should be on the drive except the submitted entry, and double-check that
there are no viruses! The name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and
the city must be on the front of the envelope.
Download critique sheet.
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.
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When is the next Houstonfest?
Saturday,
February 6, 2021 Where
is Houstonfest?
Due to COVID-19, the 2021 contest will be conducted entirely REMOTELY.
Link to Texas
State German Contest
Texas
State German Contest on Facebook |