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Stripes of Support: The Team Behind Every Tiger
Stripes of Support: The Team Behind Every Tiger
Our faculty, and staff are committed to provide Bache-Martin students with every opportunity to expand their minds and create Life Long Learners. Please introduce yourselves next time you see them!
Leadership & Support Staff
Leadership & Support Staff
Dr. Matthew Tossman
Principal (mtossman@philasd.org)Dr. Tossman has served as Principal of Bache Martin School since 2024 and brings over 20 years of experience in education. With a strong focus on student success and community involvement, he is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment. When not at school, Dr. Tossman enjoys spending time with his family — his wife, their two children, and their cavapoo, Gryffindor.Ms. Kelly Adams
Assistant Principal (kadams@philasd.org)Ms. Adams joins us from Waring. She brings a wealth of special education experience, having worked as an Early Interventionist, Autistic Support teacher, Learning Support teacher, and Special Education Compliance Manager. She is thrilled to join the Bache-Martin community!Tracey Gadson
Climate Manager (tjones10@philasd.org)Michael Hennigan
Director of Student Services (mhennigan@philasd.org)Mr. Hennigan plays a vital role in keeping Bache Martin School running smoothly. With 4 years of experience in being a Dean of Students, he supports students and staff every day. He is known for bad jokes and fist bumps. Outside of school, Mr. Hennigan enjoys, running, reading, being down the shore and spending time with his family.Janna McAdoo
Director of Student Services (jmcadoo@philasd.org)Beth Connor
Nurse (bconnor@philasd.org)Kami Lynch
Special Education Liaison (kllynch@philasd.org)Kami has been teaching special education for 17 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about making sure the unique needs of all learners are supported regardless of ability or disability. Outside of the classroom, Kami enjoys spending time outside with her family hiking and exploring new places.Ashley Cocca
Counselor (acocca@philasd.org)As one of the School Counselors at Bache Martin School, Ms Cocca works closely with students, families, and staff to support social/emotional well-being, college and career readiness, and academic achievement. With a background in mental health, school counseling, and mental health therapy in schools, she helps create a caring and inclusive environment. In her free time, Ms. Cocca enjoys running, the Wissahickon, coffee, Philadelphia sports, reading, laughing, and sharing a meal with family and friends.Megan Valenson
Counselor (mvalenson@philasd.org)As the school counselor at Bache Martin School, Megan works closely with students, families, and staff to support emotional well-being and academic achievement. With a background in Education, School Counseling, and Community Mental Health, she helps create a caring and inclusive environment. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with her husband and dog.Sarahanne BeegleSpeech Language Pathologist (sbeegle@philasd.org)Sarahanne Beetle has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 15 years and joined Bache Martin in 2021. She is passionate about autism, AAC, and articulation. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Maggie Check
Speech Language Pathologist (mhoffman2@philasd.org)Maggie has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 9 years and joined Bache Martin in 2020. She is passionate about giving every child a voice. Outside of the classroom, Maggie enjoys spending time outside, reading, and being active.Katherine Marren
Speech Language Pathologist (kmarren@philasd.org)Katy Marren has been providing speech-language therapy for 11 years and joined Bache Martin in 2025. She is passionate about supporting students with autism and articulation disorders. Outside of the classroom, Katy enjoys baking, concerts, walking her dog, and spending time with friends.Bevin Journey
Occupational Therapist (bjourney@philasd.org)Staci Braverman
Physical Therapist (sbraverman@philasd.org)Becky Porch
School Psychologist (rporch@philasd.org)Sarah Lorraine
School Psychologist (slorraine@philasd.org)Shannon Kennedy
Secretary (skennedy@philasd.org)Cindy Stone
Climate Specialist (cstone@philasd.org)Susan Nastasi
Climate Support Staff (snastasi@philasd.org)Tracey Young
Climate Support Staff (tyoung3@philasd.org)Christian Torrance Short Barr
Climate Support Staff (ctorranceshortbarr@philasd.org)Mindy ThatchClimate Support Staff (mthach@philasd.org)
Bright Futures Program (Pre-K)
Bright Futures Program (Pre-K)
Cynthia Hooper (Banner)
Pre-K (chyppolite@philasd.org)Cynthia Hooper has been teaching in the district for eight years, and joined Bache Martin PreK in the fall of 2020. She is incredibly passionate about creating a nurturing and supportive environment where her students can begin their educational journey. When not in the classroom, she loves to spend time making memories with her family and reading.Meghan Horleman (Terry)
Pre-K (mhorleman@philasd.org)Meghan has been teaching for 8 years in Kindergarten through 2nd grade and joined Bache Martin and PreK in 2025. She is passionate about early childhood education and preparing our youngest learners for a positive school experience. Outside of the classroom, Meghan enjoys hanging with friends and family and visiting her hometown of Long Beach Island.Elementary School Faculty
Elementary School Faculty
Kristin Yeager
Kindergarten (kyeager@philasd.org)Ms. Yeager has been teaching for 12 years. She has been teaching Kindergarten for 2 years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about teaching children the joys of learning new things, running and staying fit, cooking, taking her dog Daisy everywhere she can, spending time with friends and family and listening to Taylor Swift.Megan Sullivan
Kindergarten (msullivan@philasd.org)Toni Hartman
Kindergarten (thartman@philasd.org)Ms. Hartman has been teaching kindergarten for two years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about teaching literacy skills to young learners. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Hartman enjoys coaching the middle school volleyball team and spending time with her family.Heather Chiminello
1st Grade (hchiminello@philasd.org)Heather Chiminello has been teaching 1st grade for 20 years and joined Bache Martin in 2015. She is passionate about spending time with her husband and two boys, Parker and Westin. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Chiminello enjoys hiking, running, cooking and reading.Kiranjot Aneja
1st Grade (kaneja2@philasd.org)Ms. Aneja has been teaching first and second grade in Philadelphia for 5 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about the arts, advocacy, and a really good sandwich. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Aneja enjoys walking around Fairmount with her pride and joy, Schmidty, her 25 pound rescue pup.Allie Burke
1st Grade (anussbaum@philasd.org)Mrs. Burke has been teaching 1st grade for 5 years and joined Bache Martin in 2021. She is passionate about her cat, rowing, and her family. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Burke enjoys spending time with her family in New England and enjoying the neighborhood restaurants.Mary Brehouse
2nd Grade (mbrehouse@philasd.org)Mrs. Mary Brehouse has been teaching second grade for 35 years and joined Bache Martin in 1997. She is passionate about teaching reading. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Brehouse enjoys reading and baking.Rachel Richie
2nd Grade (rrichie@philasd.org)Mrs. Richie has been teaching K-2 for 15 years and joined Bache Martin in 2018. She is passionate about teaching reading. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Richie enjoys spending time with family and Penn State everything.Alison Marcus
2nd Grade (amarcus2@philasd.org)Alison Marcus has been teaching k-2 for 15 years and joined Bache Martin in 2024. She is passionate about fostering students' curiosity and love of reading. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Marcus enjoys the WNBA, Buffalo Bills football, and traveling.Alexa Valladares
3rd Grade (avalladares@philasd.org)Hello!! My name is Alexa Valladares! I received my Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree from Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development. This past school year, I completed and received my Masters of Science in Special Education from Drexel University. I grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and currently live in Delaware County. In my free time I love to read, spend time with my family/ friends, travel, go down the shore, and lounge with my two cats, Kitty Witty and Stella Blue! I also enjoy music and make time to see live music whenever I can! As an educator, I believe that building positive relationships with my students is everything! Third grade is such an important year and I want all of my students to feel they have a safe space to learn, grow and succeed, together! Go Tigers!Kendall Bortle
3rd Grade (kbortle@philasd.org)Ms. Bortle has been teaching 3rd grade for 2 years and joined Bache Martin in 2024. They are passionate about making all students feel included. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Bortle enjoys spending time with their cats, reading and going to concerts.Emily Tracy
3rd Grade (etracy@philasd.org)Emily Tracy has been teaching 3rd grade for 9 years and joined Bache-Martin in 2017. She is passionate about every child finding a book to love! Outside of the classroom, Emily Tracy enjoys reading, going to the beach, and playing with my 4 year old daughter.Alexis White
4th Grade (awhite3@philasd.org)Alexis White has been teaching 4th grade for 8 years and joined Bache Martin in 2016. She is passionate about plants. Outside of the classroom, Alexis enjoys going to Phillies games and watching reality tv.Emily Gore
4th Grade (edavis3@philasd.org)Ms .Davis has been teaching 4th grade for 2 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about music and cooking. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Davis enjoys playing the violin, spending time with her dog and trying new restaurants.Nydira Skelton
4th Grade (nclark2@philasd.org)Nydira Clark has been teaching elementary school for 9 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about providing a quality education to scholars in a safe and fun learning environment. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Clark enjoys spending time with her family.MIddle SChool Faculty
MIddle SChool Faculty
Kerry Lyons
Math, 5th Grade (klyons@philasd.org)Kerry has been teaching fifth grade math for four years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about helping others, nature, and The E-A-G-L-E-S!! Outside of the classroom, Kerry enjoys baking, spending time with friends, and long walks with her dog.Jennifer Malloy
Social Studies/ELA, 5th Grade (jlmalloy@philasd.org)Jen Malloy has been teaching Middle School for 23 years and joined Bache Martin in 2015. Ms. Malloy is passionate about sharing books with pre-teens, and developing opportunities for Student Voice. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Malloy enjoys watching the Phillies, getting stronger at the gym, and spending time with friends and family.Rashad Scott
ELA, 5th Grade (rscott@philasd.org)Rashad Scott is thrilled to begin this new chapter as the 5th Grade English Language Arts teacher at Bache-Martin School! As a passionate educator with over ten years of classroom experience, he's deeply committed to helping students grow academically, socially, and emotionally through meaningful, engaging learning experiences. He has taught in a variety of roles across Philadelphia and even internationally in China. His teaching style focuses on creating an inclusive, student-centered classroom where curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for reading and writing are nurtured every day. In 2022, Mr. Scott was honored to receive the Constance Clayton Award for Teaching Excellence, a milestone in a journey that began years ago and continues to evolve.Outside the classroom, he is a youth mentor, involved with my church (CityLife), former behavioral health professional, and lifelong learner. Mr. Scott lives in Grays Ferry with his wife and two children, and in his free time, he enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and dropping the occasional dad joke—much to the delight (or groans) of his students!Ashley Santee
Math 6th Grade (asantee@philasd.org)Ashley Santee has been teaching 6th and 7th grade math for six years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about urban tree canopies, beekeeping, and traveling. Outside of the classroom, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and eating all variations of dumplings.Melanie Giancaterino
Social Studies/Science, 6th Grade (mgiancaterino@philasd.org)Melanie Giancaterino has been teaching ELA for 21 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about finding innovative ways to let creativity flow through art, dance, writing, music, and film. Outside of the classroom, Melanie enjoys going to the beach, dinner with friends, reading, writing, dancing, and relaxing!Shaniya-Marie Hill
ELA, 6th Grade (shill3@philasd.org)Ezra Goodman
ELA, 7th-8th Grades (egoodman@philasd.org)Chelsea Avalos
Literacy, 7th - 8th Grades (credmond@philasd.org)Mrs. Avalos has been teaching middle school ELA for 11 years and joined Bache-Martin in 2018. She is passionate about being a part of students educational careers during some of the most challenging and transformative years of development both inside and outside of the classroom. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Avalos enjoys spending time with her kids, reading, baking, and traveling.Kaitlyn Ferreri
Math 7th-8th Grades (kferreri@philasd.org)Ms. Ferreri has been teaching middle school math for 6 years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about learning new things, hitting her reading goal (100 books per year -- ask me about my favorites!), and a little sweet treat after dinner. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Ferreri enjoys spending time with loved ones, working out, and trying new restaurants.TJ Seningen
Science, 7th-8th Grades (tseningen@philasd.org)Mr Seningen has been teaching middle school science for years 8 and joined Bache Martin in 2024. He is passionate about guiding young minds to a richer understanding of the workings of our universe. Outside of the classroom, Mr Seningen enjoys spending time with his family in nature.Kyle Coston
Social Studies, 7th-8th Grades (kcoston@philasd.org)Special Education Faculty
Special Education Faculty
Hannah Blake
Autistic Support, K-2 (hblake@philasd.org)Hannah Blake has been teaching special education for 8 years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about creating access for all learners to thrive and reach their full potential while still making learning fun! Outside of the classroom, Ms. Blake enjoys cooking, walking her dog, rock climbing, and hiking.Heather Lutz
Autistic Support, K-2 (hlutz@philasd.org)Mrs. Lutz has been teaching Autistic Support for 4 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about special education, human rights & animals. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Lutz enjoys being a mom, going to the beach, reading, exercising and cooking.Samantha Figarotta
Autistic Support, 3-5 (sfigarotta@philasd.org)Lisa Sanuck
Autistic Support, 6-8 (labunks@philasd.org)Lisa Sanuck, Middle School Autistic Support teacher, teaching for 21 years and 12 years at Bache Martin, passionate about reading and spending time with my two sons.Joanna Sauer
Autistic Support (jrsauer@philasd.org)Ms. Sauer has been teaching for 11 years, in both special education and regular education, and joined Bache Martin in 2024. She is passionate about advocating for all! Outside of the classroom, Ms. Sauer enjoys yoga, reading and cooking.Claire Fishkow
Autistic Support (cfishkow@philasd.org)Ms. Fishkow has been teaching K-8 Special Education for two years and joined Bache Martin in 2024. She is passionate about helping students feel confident, supported, and proud of who they are as they grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Fishkow enjoys arts and crafts, exploring new restaurants around Philadelphia, spending time with friends and family, and getting lost in a good book.Anna Williams
Autistic Support (acwilliams@philasd.org)Anna Williams has been teaching K-8 LS/AS for 1 year and joined Bache Martin in 2024. She is passionate about building positive relationships with students. Outside of the classroom, Anna enjoys doing yoga, reading, and playing with her puppy!Sara Robins
Life Skills Support, K-2 (smusial@philasd.org)Tesia Huff
Life Skills Support, 3-5 (thuff@philasd.org)Tesia has been teaching special education for one year and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about instilling a love of learning in her students. Outside of the classroom, Tesia enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.Jennifer Shiel
Life Skills Support, 6-8 (jshiel@philasd.org)Jennifer Shiel has been teaching Life Skills Support for 3 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about her students and family. Outside of the classroom, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her wife Kat and son Rhoads.Lynnette Bright
Learning Support (labright@philasd.org)Cara Donahue
Learning Support (cpetrillo@philasd.org)Cara has been teaching Learning Support in the district for 18 years and joined Bache Martin in 2016. She is passionate about her kids and helping students love to read. Outside of the classroom, Cara is very busy with her family- husband- Paul, kids- Grady and Maddie, and dog Hurley. Grady (8) plays soccer, basketball, baseball and lacrosse. Maddie (6) plays soccer and lacrosse and also does gymnastics. Cara loves spending time with friends and family, spending time in South Carolina and reading.Shakira Wimberly
Learning Support (swimberly@philasd.org)Ms. Wimberly joined Bache Martin in 2016, She is passionate about art. Ms. Wimberly has an interior design business.Chasa Bowman
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, K-2 (cdbowman@philasd.org)Chasa Bowman has been teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for over 16 years and joined Bache-Martin in 2023. Prior to that, Chasa worked at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for more than 14 years. She is passionate about fostering language development, creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment, and supporting the academic and social growth of every student. She utilizes visual strategies, hands-on activities, and technology to make learning engaging and effective. Outside of the classroom, Chasa enjoys spending time with her two sons, reading, and exploring new places such as museums, parks, and local restaurants.Rachael Jacques
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, 3-5 (rjacques@philasd.org)Janessa Carter
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, 6-8 (jmcarter@philasd.org)Janessa Carter has been teaching DHH 3-5 & DHH 6-8 for 2 years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about spreading Deaf awareness. Outside of the classroom, Janessa enjoys thrift shopping.Olivia Iby
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Inclusion (oiby@philasd.org)Olivia Iby (Ms. Iby) has been teaching students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing for 8 years and joined Bache Martin in 2025. She is passionate about accessible communication for all learners. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys going for walks and watching the Phillies.Meghan Faino
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Inclusion (mfaino@philasd.org)Meghan Faino has been teaching Elementary Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for eight years and joined Bache Martin in 2021. She is passionate about fostering a love of reading and encouraging students to explore stories that spark their interests. Outside of the classroom, Meghan enjoys crafting, rock climbing, walks with her very energetic dog, and spending time with friends and family.Gilisa Floyd
Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Inclusion (gfloyd@philasd.org)Janine Nolan
ASL Interpreter (jmnolan@philasd.org)Janine has been interpreting for 15 years and joined Bache Martin in 2020. She is passionate about providing equal access to all students and staff . Outside of the classroom, Janine enjoys spending time with her family, especially at the beach.Theresa McGettigan
ASL Interpreter (tmcgettigan@philasd.org)Lucia Treseder
ASL Interpreter (lcavalier@philasd.org)Lucia Treseder has been interpreting for 6 years and joined Bache Martin in 2023. She is passionate about providing access for DHH students. Outside of the classroom, Lucia enjoys hiking with her dog.Steve Rogina
ASL Interpreter (srogina@philasd.org)Steve Rogina has been interpreting K-8 for 30 years and joined Bache Martin in 2024. He is passionate about access for Deaf/HH individuals and expanding Deaf Awareness in the hearing community. Outside of the classroom, Steve enjoys Volleyball, Theater, Renaissance Fairs, and hiking/exploring.Alexandra Miller
ASL Interpreter (amiller8@philasd.org)Alex has been interpreting for 8 years and has joined Bache- Martin this year. She is passionate about algebra, geometry and all science. Outside of the classroom, Alex enjoys spending time with her 2 cats, hiking, and cheering on Philly sports teams!Treasure Copper
Paraprofessional (tcopper2@philasd.org)Tkeyah Green
Paraprofessional (tgreen4@philasd.org)Mylisha Gordon
Paraprofessional (mgordon3@philasd.org)Geneiva Irons
Paraprofessional (girons@philasd.org)JooHee Kim
Paraprofessional (jkim2@philasd.org)Tarif Lee
Paraprofessional (tlee4@philasd.org)Priscilla Lockhart
Paraprofessional (plockhart@philasd.org)Veronica Love
Paraprofessional (vlove@philasd.org)Jacinth Lugg
Paraprofessional (jlugg@philasd.org)Aliyah Naim
Paraprofessional (anaim@philasd.org)Karla Peterson
Paraprofessional (knpeterson@philasd.org)Lugina Robinson
Paraprofessional (ldrobinson@philasd.org)Michelle Santiago
Paraprofessional (micsantiago@philasd.org)Jamie Smith
Paraprofessional (jksmith@philasd.org)Jasmine Stephens
Paraprofessional (jstephens@philasd.org)Specialties Faculty
Specialties Faculty
Dana Fiero
Music (dfiero@philasd.org)Brian Nugent
Physical Education (bnugent@philasd.org)Brian has been teaching PE in Philadelphia for 32 years and joined Bache Martin in 2021 He is passionate about Physical Education and its endless possibilities. Outside of the classroom, Brian enjoys the beach, mountains, hiking, biking, golfing and being with his family.Patricia Quigley
Art (pquigley@philasd.org)Patricia Quigley started teaching Visual Art at Bache Martin in 2018! She graduated with a BA in Art Education from The College of New Jersey and earned a Masters of Art Education from The Art of Education University. In addition to her education experience, she has worked as a professional artist at Grounds for Sculpture, and runs a commissioned pet portrait painting company called Little Paw Studio. When she's not in the classroom, Ms. Quigley loves spending time painting, hiking, surfing, cooking, and playing with her dog, Taco!Siara Gonzalez
Expressive Play (sgonzalez2@philasd.org)Ms. Gonzalez has been teaching Expressive Play for 3 years and joined Bache Martin in 2022. She is passionate about providing a safe space for our students. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Gonzalez enjoys thrift shopping in the city and trying out new coffee shops!Christopher Johnson
ASL (cjohnson3@philasd.org)Erin Pierce
Reading Specialist (epierce@philasd.org)Ian McCutcheon
Math Specialist (imccutcheon@philasd.org)Ian McCutcheon has been teaching math for ten years and joined Bache Martin in 2018. He is passionate about the Pythagorean Theorem, Bache Wrestling, and Ohio State Buckeye football. Outside of the classroom, Ian enjoys sports, live music, and spending time with his family.Charlotte McCracken
Science, K-5 (cmccracken@philasd.org)Mrs. McCracken has been teaching science for 10 years and joined Bache Martin in Fall 2016. She is passionate about hands-on science and inquiry based learning. She is excited to share her love of science and engineering with students and create opportunities for them to use the engineering and design plan to solve problems. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. McCracken enjoys spending time with her young daughters and family kayaking, hiking, and reading.Rachel Gelb
ESOL (rgelb@philasd.org)Rachel Gelb has been teaching English to speakers of other languages for over 15 years years and joined Bache Martin in 2015. She is passionate about helping students become bilingual. Outside of the classroom, Rachel enjoys reading and hiking.Vanessa Taylor
Instrumental Winds/Percussion (vataylor@philasd.org)Vanessa Taylor has been teaching band/music for 25 years and joined Bache Martin in 2005. She is passionate about playing sax in the band and playing the bassoon in the Main Line Symphony Orchestra. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys planting flowers and vegetables in her garden.Aaron Hoke
Instrumental Strings (ahoke@philasd.org)Danielle Wilson
STEM (dnjackson@philasd.org)Danielle Wilson has been teaching 5-8 STEM for 7 years and joined Bache-Martin in 2019. She is passionate about children learning authentically. Outside of the classroom, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family.Celeste Fiordimondo
Library (library@bachemartin.org)Rebecca Malcolm
Library (library@bachemartin.org)Facilities and Lunchroom Staff
Facilities and Lunchroom Staff
Madeleine Bryan
Bache Cafeteria (mbryan@philasd.org)Shetima Roach
Bache Engineer (sroach2@philasd.org)Danielle Mears
Martin Engineer (dmears@philasd.org)Page updated
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