PHP SQLSRV - ignores scalar variable declaration in multi-line batch

My TSQL string looks like this:

INSERT INTO contacts (firstName, lastName) VALUES ('jon', 'snow') 
DECLARE @IDcontacts VARCHAR(200)
SET @IDcontacts = @@IDENTITY;

INSERT INTO emailAddresses (ownerId, emailAddress) VALUES (@IDcontacts, 'jon@thewall.com') 

INSERT INTO emailAddresses (ownerId, emailAddress) VALUES (@IDcontacts, 'jon@winterfell.com') 

INSERT INTO emailAddresses (ownerId, emailAddress) VALUES (@IDcontacts, 'thebastard@winterfell.com') 

I run this using sqlsrv_query() and it returns four errors: "Must declare scalar variable @IDcontacts".  It looks declared to me.

It appears as if the query command is executing every line in a separate scope (returning an error for each one), but that's just a guess.  There must be a way to make this work properly.  After all, I suspect that with complex objects (children and grand children and even great-grandchildren) popping out after every insert to check the identity and pass it to all the children would be pretty innefficient.

Help?