Fourth Graders Create Oreotella Cinnamon Roll
Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School students partnered with Mama Bear Bakery to launch a new flavor that raised $1,216.20 for charity.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy
Fourth graders at Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School worked with Mama Bear Bakery to create a new cinnamon roll flavor called Oreotella, which combines Oreo cookies and Nutella spread. Sale proceeds totaled $1,216.20 and will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur.
Why it matters
The project gave students hands-on experience in product development and marketing while directing local business sales toward a community youth organization. It shows how a school partnership with a neighborhood bakery can produce both learning outcomes and direct charitable support for Decatur.
Sales of Oreotella cinnamon rolls, priced at $12 for two or $20 for four, generated $1,216.20 in total proceeds for the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur. The report does not state the number of rolls sold or how the total compares with prior school fundraisers.
The players
Mama Bear Bakery
A Decatur bakery owned by Jessica McBride, a former Decatur Public Schools teacher, that partnered with the students to produce the Oreotella rolls.
Boys and Girls Club of Decatur
The local youth development organization that will receive the $1,216.20 in sale proceeds from the project.
Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School
The Decatur public magnet school whose fourth graders designed and marketed the new cinnamon roll flavor.
The details
Students named the cinnamon rolls, designed a logo, poster, commercials and label stickers, and tasted the first batch of Oreotella. They were taught marketing by Cassie Yoder of Cass Concepts, and rejected ideas included a cookie dough flavor and Grinch- and Santa Claus-themed pastries. Rolls were available by special order through the school.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Article published about the fourth grade cinnamon roll project.
Market Landscape
The project follows a common pattern in which schools partner with local businesses so students learn product design and marketing through real sales. Routing proceeds to a youth nonprofit like the Boys and Girls Club places the effort within a familiar model of school-based fundraising.
Residents who want to buy Oreotella cinnamon rolls can place special orders through the school, at $12 for two or $20 for four. Future orders may be offered to the public through Mama Bear Bakery, though no date has been announced.
The takeaway
A school project that combines classroom learning with a local business and a charity shows how small community sales can produce meaningful support for youth services. Readers interested in similar efforts can look for school-business partnerships in their own neighborhoods.
Further reading
For more local giving stories, explore Philanthropy coverage across Decatur.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Herald-Review.
