Our School

Bache-Martin Campus & Facilities

The campus includes two buildings; the Martin Building holding the lower grade classrooms, and the Bache Building, where the middle school classrooms, and Bright Futures Program are located.

Both are magnificent historic structures, and are part of the National Register of Historic Places.

The Martin Building

(Lower Grades)

The Martin building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine, and was built in 1936–1937.

This one story structure was built in the Georgian Revival style. It features a central projecting pediment portico with Corinthian columns, and a bell tower.

In addition to the lower grades, this building also houses the main office, our cafeteria, the Martin auditorium, gymnasium, and nurse's office. Hidden from plain view, and surrounded by classrooms are the school's recess yard, and the science garden.

The Martin building was the first school in the Philadelphia school system for physically handicapped students.

Outdoor Learning Lab and Science Garden

The Outdoor Learning Lab and Science Garden provides students with the opportunity to experience and learn first-hand about conservation, the natural environment, and plant life-cycle year round.

Our school has used this wonderful space to teach our students about plant development, life cycles, the lives of insects, the importance of pollinators, the environment, and how it affects our lives and where food comes from.

But our use of the Outdoor Learning Lab and Science Garden doesn't stop there!

Our kindergarteners have used the space for read alouds, and nature walks.

Ms. Gelb and her ESOL students have used the garden to study and learn about calming and cool down spaces, like therapy gardens and mediation exercises.

Ms. Fiero has also brought her classes to the garden for music, and even guitar lessons have been held there, plus celebrations, of all kinds, including our first ever Bache In Bloom fundraiser!

Interior Recess Yard

Protected from plain view, our second interior courtyard, gives our students an inviting, and safe, play space.

Soft play-surface as well as extensive landscaping were installed for enjoyment. The space is used throughout the day for recess and recreation by all the Martin Building students.

The BACHE Building

(Middle School)

The Bache building was designed by Lloyd Titus in the Romanesque style, was built in 1905–1906.

This three-story, L-shaped, stone building features a central projecting gable elaborate arched window.

It was named for Philadelphia native Alexander Dallas Bache, an American physicist, scientist, surveyor and Professor of natural philosophy and chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.

Due to its age, the building underwent some renovations during the summer of 2019.

The Bache building houses our Middle School, the Bright Futures program, the Bache-Martin Library, our Band Program and the Middle School Science Laboratory as well.

The Bache building also features a separate cafeteria for the Middle School students.

School Library

Located on the second floor of the Bache building, the school library was renovated and reopened in 2019.

Huge thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Bache-Martin, and the hard work of countless parents, neighbors, students, and various groups of volunteers, who kindly gave their time in this effort.

Bright Futures Program

In the Bache building you can also find the Pre-Kindergarten classrooms.

Parents interested in this program should visit the Office of Early Childhood Education's website for information regarding enrolling your pre-K child in school.

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