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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, 2024Gail 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.

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 Kingwood 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 2024
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 M320. 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 at 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. New: Meet-and-greet with German professors from the University of Houston in M244. Drop by and find out what the UH German program has to offer!
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 Dusty Brown, Lisa Parrott, Timothy Swenson
virtual: Oral Presentation 4 online Liz Brydon, Heidi Kirby, Sylvia Longoria
virtual: Oral Presentation Advant. online Silke Bugge, Saskia Mehlhorn, Nora Neu
virtual: Photo Essay online Christiane Salvador, Alexia Uhlendorf
virtual: Poetry Reading 1 online Taleed Atieh, Manuela Hammer, Barbara Homann
virtual: Poetry Reading 2 online Diana Bangert, Miriam Lacayo, Denise Tanner
virtual: Poetry Reading 3 online Heike Lops Kelleher, Barbara Lott, Rachel Newman
virtual: Poetry Reading 4 online James Howell, Martina Luke-Dorn, Manuela Sieber
virtual: Prose Reading 1 online Juliane Henneberger, Heidi Keschenat, Tara McMartin
virtual: Prose Reading 2 online Christiane Galvani, Friedhelm Luening, Braden Ross
virtual: Prose Reading 3 online Stefanie Harris, Alex Loddoch, Alison Wimmer
virtual: Prose Reading 4 online Heidi Hoth, Katharina Kley, Nadja Springer
virtual: Research Paper online Jordan Beal, Jana Enderlein, Fiona Lindgren
virtual: Video Show online Laura Braun, Alec Cattell, Maike Nawroth
virtual: alternate judge online Jamila Koukakis
Advantaged Speaker Test M326 Jennifer Martin
Classical Ensemble, Polka Band A131 Brian Berlin, Robert Herridge, Valina Witte
Club Album A238 Leslie Friedrich, Markus Wimmer
Contemporary Music A113 Fatima Baig, Tanya Bandmann
Crafts A255 Hannah Henry, Laura Rissky
Culture M315 Bryan Galloway, Timothy Swenson (after Photography)
Directed Dialogue 1 A250 Michael Rossow, Alexandra Wirth
Directed Dialogue 2 A252 Kathrin Correll, Heidi Hoth
Doll Costume A253 Heidi Keschenat, Diane Sullivan
Duet Acting Lower A276 Robert Gervais, Miranda James
Duet Acting Upper A278 Brenda Bauske, Kurt Bauske
Extemp. Speaking facilitator A273 Loren Haase, Aayan Shah (KHS)
Extemp. Speaking 3, Advant. A275 Anja Green, Markus Hatzelmann
Extemp. Speaking 4 A271 Hildegard Glass, Sylvia Wagman
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz),

Folk Dance (Team)

MB 07 Piper Brown, Zach Brown, Jacob Desporte,

Brayden Montgomery, Kaity Nelson, Eric Wolz

Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.) A231 Sarai Macedo, Morgann Swenson
Gingerbread House (Traditional) A201 Jamie Overstreet, Mia Feline Petsch
Grammar M316 John Davis, George Rissky
Listening Comprehension M308 Stephanie Sladek, Amelia Spears (KHS)
Needlework A238 Siobhan Madden, Kim Mickelson, Diane Sullivan (sub)
Original Models A212 Stanley Stifflemire, Günter Sundag
Pair Discussion A241 Elmy Biermanns, Manuela Sieber
Pass auf! (Novice) M345 Taleed Atieh, Sarah Murray
Pass auf! (Varsity) M346 Lauren Davis, Sarah Smith
Photography A236 Friedhelm Luening, Timothy Swenson
Poetry Memory 1, 2 M317 Emily Miller, Kurt Strack
Poetry Memory 3, 4 M319 Werner Heigl, Michael Miller
Poetry Memory Advantaged,

Prose Memory Advantaged

M323 Bettina Albermann, Sebastian Gobel
Poster Design A236 Svenja Karad, Janett Kuba
Prose Memory 1, 2 M325 Karen Frye, Alan Jones
Prose Memory 3, 4 M327 Bryan Due, Steve Wynne, Howard Cornelsen (sub)
Puppet Show Lower, Upper M247 Birgit Arentsen, Nora Neu
Reading Comprehension M320 Rebecca Butler, Andy Hamilton
Scavenger Hunt M229 Seth Hulse, Marina Ignatyev
Shirt Design A212 Spring Agnew, Bianca Reich
Sight Reading 1 A210 Burhanuddin Calcuttawala, Lisa Parrott
Sight Reading 2 A213 Juliane Henneberger, Alex Loddoch
Sight Reading 3 A215 Luisa Boettner, Meike Graewe
Sight Reading 4 A217 Christiane Galvani, Lars Grabow
Skit 1, 2 M244 Sylvia Ehret, Susanne Salas, Lena Trojer
Skit 3, 4 M246 David Brenner, Antonia Hinkel
Spelling A150 Emily Tidey, Heinz Schmidt (grader)
Timed Writing A152 Jana Enderlein, Ute Hoefel, David West (sub)
Vocabulary M314 Connie Galloway, Carter Nguyen (KHS)
Vocal Solo A233 Dusty Brown, Julia Burke
Reserve Judge Corps

Howard Cornelsen, David West

 
Director (Tabulation: Teacher Lounge) Rustin Buck
Host Mark Johnson
Assistant to Director Henry Innes (KHS)
Written testing supervisor (Scantron: M330) David Kniess
Written testing assistants Beverly Randall, Riley Bocklage (KHS),

Christian Brown (KHS), Valeria Ignatyev (KHS,

Gabriel Moreno (ToHS)

Breakfast, refreshment cart, proctor/tab lunch Lisa Ganguly, Kandee Jahns
Judge check-in, data entry Sandy Harvey, Yvonne Thomas
Tabulation room (intake and bagging) Laura Rissky, Ann Marie Schrock
Awards ceremony assistants Henry Innes (KHS), Kingwood students, Kandee Jahns, Ann Marie Schrock, adult folk dancers

 

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 M326   Poetry Memory 4 M319
Classical Ensemble A131 Poetry Memory Advant. M323
Club Album A238 Polka Band A131
Contemporary Music A113 Poster Design A236
Crafts A255 Prose Memory 1 M325
Culture M315 Prose Memory 2 M325
Directed Dialogue 1 A250 Prose Memory 3 M327
Directed Dialogue 2 A252 Prose Memory 4 M327
Doll Costume A253 Prose Memory Advant. M323
Duet Acting Lower A276 Puppet Show Lower M247
Duet Acting Upper A278 Puppet Show Upper M247
Ext. Speaking - get topic A273 Reading Comprehension M320
Ext. Speaking 3 - judging A275 Scantron Room M330
Ext. Speaking 4 - judging A271 Scavenger Hunt M229
Ext. Speaking Adv. - judging A275 Shirt Design A212
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz)

Folk Dance (Team)

MB 07 (M Bldg. basement) 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 M308 Skit 1 M244
Needlework A238 Skit 2 M244
Original Models A212 Skit 3 M246
Pair Discussion A241 Skit 4 M246
Pass auf! (Novice) M345 Spelling A150
Pass auf! (Varsity) M346 Tabulation Room Lounge (1st Fl.)
Photography A236 Timed Writing A152
Poetry Memory 1 M317 UH professors 1:00-1:30 M244
Poetry Memory 2 M317 Vocabulary M314
Poetry Memory 3 M319 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. M244 Skit 4, Rm. M246
8:40 Bellaire 8:35 Jordan 10:20 Tompkins
9:00 Kingwood 8:50 Kingwood 10:40 The Woodlands
9:20 Travis 9:30 Tompkins 11:00 Jordan
9:40 Jordan 9:45

Klein Oak

11:25 Kingwood
    10:00 Travis 11:45 Bellaire
Upper Puppets, Rm. M247        
10:15 Clements Skit 2, Rm. M244    
10:35 Bellaire 10:30 Tompkins Einzeltanz, Rm. MB07
10:55 Jordan 10:45 Jordan 8:40 Kingwood
11:15 Heights 11:10 Klein Oak 8:55 Jordan
11:35 Travis 11:25 Kingwood 9:10 Brazoswood
11:55 Kingwood     9:25 Tompkins
    Skit 3, Rm. M246    
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. 8:40 Kingwood Team Folk Dance, Rm. MB07
9:00 Tompkins 10:00 Kingwood
9:30 Taylor 10:30 Brazoswood
9:50 Jordan 11:00 Tompkins

Novice Pass auf! schedule

Varsity Pass auf! schedule

11:30 Jordan
   

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 8, 2025

 

Where is Houstonfest?

 

Kingwood High School

2701 Kingwood Dr.

Kingwood, TX 77339

(new location in 2025!)

 

Link to Texas State German Contest

 

Texas State German Contest on Facebook

 

Texas State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group